We made an Official Information Act request to NZ Police to gain logbook and work time offences for 2017. The figures show that drivers were fined almost $500,000 for infringements. 324 drivers were prosecuted in court (figures for fines and disqualifications were not available but the typical fine is up to $2000 per offence plus a one-month disqualification).
Logbook offences
The vast majority of logbook offences are drivers not filling out their logbook correct – something that can be easily remedied using this logbook course.
| Infringement
Offence |
Nominal value of infringements | Summonable offence | Warning | |
| Produced a logbook containing 1-5 omissions | 1235 | $185,250 | 2 | 926 |
| Produced a logbook containing 6-10 omissions | 177 | $53,100 | 3 | 41 |
| Produced a logbook containing 11 or more omissions | 72 | $36,000 | 8 | 47 |
| Failed to produce a current logbook on demand | 439 | $219,500 | 1 | 174 |
| Failed to carry a logbook exemption and produce on demand | 2 | $400 | 0 | 0 |
| Failed to offer proof that complying with logbook exemption | 1 | $200 | 0 | 0 |
| Make a false statement in a logbook | 0 | 24 | 2 | |
| Failed to deliver copies of logbook records to employer | 0 | 8 | 24 | |
| Produced a logbook containing a false particular | 0 | 45 | 2 | |
| Allowed a vehicle to be used when a logbook had a false particular | 0 | 2 | 1 | |
| Allowed an omission to occur in a logbook | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Allowed a vehicle to be used when a logbook had omissions | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Failed to retain logbook for required period | 0 | 2 | 1 | |
| Driver maintained 2 logbooks | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Produced a logbook that was not clear and legible | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| Vehicle recovery driver failed to complete logbook or retain tow authorities | 1 | $500 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | 1927 | $494,950 | 98 | 1223 |
Work time offences
| Infringement
Offence |
Nominal value of infringements | Summonable offence | Warning | |
| Driver exceeded 5.5 hours continuous work time | 0 | 86 | 6 | |
| Driver didn’t have 10 hours continuous rest in work day | 0 | 76 | 7 | |
| Driver exceeded 13 hours work time in a work day | 0 | 55 | 8 | |
| Driver exceeded 70 hours work time in cumulative period | 0 | 7 | 1 | |
| Driver drove more than 8 hours in a day (stage 2 accelerated licence) | 6 | $600 | 0 | 0 |
| Caused or required a driver to exceed maximum work time | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Caused or required a driver to fail to comply with rest time requirements | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Failed to carry work-time variation and produce on demand | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Failed to comply with Transport Act driving hours exemption | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Failed to produce approved alternative work time record | 1 | $500 | 0 | 0 |
| Taxi driver displayed For Hire sign during rest break | 1 | $200 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 8 | $1300 | 226 | 25 |
| Total | 1935 | $496,250 | 324 | 1248 |
The data contains the number an nominal value of offences relating to logbooks. It includes the infringement offences and infringement fee, and summonable offences which have no infringement fee and are instead dealt with by a court hearing and a court-imposed fine. Police could not supply the outcomes of court cases.
Money gathered from the fines goes into the Government’s Consolidated Fund or is referred to court unpaid.
Darren is a member of the Institute of Advanced Motorists and the NZ Motoring Writers' Guild
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