In April 1999, Australia's Transport Ministers meeting as the Australian Transport Council agreed to accelerate the linking of State and Territory vehicle databases and the development of national written-off vehicle registers (WOVR). Implementation principles were referred to Austroads for resolution and subsequent work was supported by the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council (NMVTRC).

WOVR’s are specifically aimed at addressing the problem of rebirthing stolen vehicles. Rebirthing involves the acquiring of a legitimate Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), usually from an accident damaged vehicle, and applying that VIN to a stolen vehicle of the same age, make and model. The stolen vehicle is subsequently re-registered and sold to an unsuspecting buyer.

While the majority of vehicle theft is opportunistic, the rebirthing of stolen vehicles by professional thieves is a significant problem that is estimated to cost the community about $75m per year.

The use of a WOVR, together with close inspection of high-risk vehicles, significantly reduces the risk that a stolen vehicle will then be registered and sold to an unsuspecting buyer.

A WOVR records a written-off vehicle’s identifiers and specific information about the damage to the vehicle. Also recorded is whether the vehicle is a statutory write-off, in which case it cannot be re-registered, or a repairable write-off, in which case the vehicle may be repaired for re-registration. The WOVR information assists vehicle identity inspectors in assessing whether a vehicle being inspected for registration is in fact the re-built wreck, or a rebirthed stolen vehicle.

A set of recommended best practice principles for WOVR’s have been developed through Australia-wide consultation with governments, industry and motoring organisations, and endorsed by all States and Territories. Western Australian legislation and policy is based on these best practice principles. By 2005, all Australian states and territories intend to have a WOVR in place, ensuring a nationwide and consistent approach towards combating the rebirthing of stolen vehicles.

A vehicle is written-off if:

1. it is assessed to have been damaged by any event to the extent that its fair salvage value plus the cost of repairing the vehicle for use on a road would be more than its fair market value immediately before the event that caused the damage (i.e. financial write-off); or

2. an auto dismantler begins to demolish or dismantle the vehicle

A Repairable write-off has been assessed as uneconomical to repair by an Insurance Company. The VIN will be recorded as a repairable.

Repairable write-offs may be repaired and registered in Western Australia, subject to passing a vehicle safety and vehicle identity check.

Statutory write-offs are damaged vehicles that are deemed unsuitable for repair, as the damage is too severe.

These vehicles are known targets of car thieves because they can be purchased at low cost.

The vehicle’s VIN will be recorded as a statutory write-off.

Statutory write-offs are ineligible for registration in Western Australia and in any other jurisdiction within Australia.

To assist in the identification of statutory written-off vehicles a label (see sample on the right) will be attached securely to the vehicle in a conspicuous position, close to the vehicle identifier. The ideal place for a notice on a motor vehicle other than a motorbike will usually be the driver’s front door or the windscreen. It is an offence to remove or deface a written off vehicle label.

click to enlarge.

In addition to attaching a written-off label, a statutory write-off vehicle will also have the vehicle’s identifier defaced. This serves as an additional warning to consumers that the vehicle is a statutory write-off and may not be registered.

The approved defacement method is to mark the compliance plate with a 25mm (1-inch) chisel mark across its face without damaging the text, and to stamp or etch a single “strike through “across each character in the VIN that is stamped into the body or chassis of the vehicle.

If you intend to purchase an un-registered vehicle and wish to determine whether the vehicle is eligible for registration, please contact 13 11 56

To find out if the car you are buying has money owing on it, go to the REVS online search engine or contact REVS on 1300 30 40 24.

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