WA to join national register for written-off vehicles

31/10/03
Western Australia is to join a national register for written-off motor vehicles today.
Planning and Infrastructure Minister Alannah MacTiernan said the move would be a major weapon in the war on professional car theft.
" Implementation of the Written-Off Vehicle Register will mean that insurers, motor dealers and parts recyclers must report details of all written-off vehicles to the Department for Planning and Infrastructure," Ms MacTiernan said.
"Vehicles that are too badly damaged for safe repair will be banned from re-registration, while less damaged written-off vehicles that have been repaired will have to undergo new, stringent identity inspections before being re-registered.
"Professional car thieves have been turning over millions of dollars worth of stolen vehicles by obtaining new identities for them through the vehicle registration system and registering them again, often in other States.
"This practice has been difficult to detect because thieves have been able to substitute a vehicle's unique vehicle identification number, or VIN, with the VIN from a similar vehicle that has been severely damaged and declared a write-off."
Consumer and Employment Protection Minister John Kobelke said 're-birthed' cars were often sold to unsuspecting buyers who were unaware they had purchased a stolen car.
"Under the new arrangements, the vehicle identification number of a written-off vehicle will not be able to be re-used," Mr Kobelke said.
"This information will be held in a national database, allowing authorities from all Australian States to check the history of vehicles that are presented for re-registration.
"This eliminates a major avenue for the re-registration and movement of stolen vehicles from State to State and complements action already taken by the Gallop Government to crack down on illegal motor vehicle dealing."
Unregisterable write-offs will carry a warning label to notify prospective purchasers, and information on repairable written-off vehicles will be obtainable through the Register of Encumbered Vehicles (REVS).
Minister MacTiernan's office: 9213 6400
Minister Kobelke's office: 9222 9211