NZTA doubles down that breaks that caused deaths are not unsafe

The New Zealand Transport Agency has doubled down on its stance that a braking system linked to six deaths is not inherently unsafe. The Coroner determined that these brakes, found in about 70,000 vehicles in New Zealand, could not be relied upon as a sole braking system, because even a well-maintained brake can fail without warning. Despite this, the Transport Agency told Transport Minister Chris Bishop it doesn't accept the coroner's views about the breaks being inherently unsafe. It comes as RNZ can reveal another instance of a cardan shaft brake failing. And further investigations by Louisa Cleave and Jimmy Ellingham have found trucking firms that have long since stopped importing vehicles with cardan shaft parking brakes.