Vehicle inspection

An inspection sticker from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

A Warrant of Fitness certificate issued to vehicles in New Zealand

Vehicle inspection is a procedure mandated by national or subnational governments in many countries, in which a vehicle is inspected to ensure that it conforms to regulations governing safety, emissions, or both. Inspection can be required at various times, e.g., periodically or on transfer of title to a vehicle. If required periodically, it is often termed periodic motor vehicle inspection; typical intervals are every two years and every year. The stickers that are on car's winshields are called inspection decals or inspection stickers.

In some jurisdictions, proof of inspection is required before a vehicle licence or license plate can be issued or renewed. In others, once a vehicle passes inspection, a decal is attached to the windshield, and police can enforce the inspection law by seeing whether the vehicle displays an up-to-date decal. In the case of a vehicle lacking a windshield (e.g., a trailer or motorcycle), the decal is typically attached to the vehicle body or license plate.

There is some controversy over whether periodically inspecting motor vehicles is a cost-effective way to improve road-traffic safety.

Americas

Brazil

In Brazil inspections are performed by private companies designated by the cities. Annual inspection is mandatory for all diesel vehicles; all natural gas, gasoline and alcohol vehicles except for new vehicles registered in the current year; all motorcycles and motorbikes, independent of year of fabrication (two-stroke engines are exempt).

Vehicles are tested for noise level and emissions levels;

After passing inspection the driver is issued an electronic stamp ('selo eletrônico') associated to the license plate of the vehicle. In São Paulo, traffic cameras identify vehicles that did not get their annual inspection and issue tickets. Inspection costs around U$70 for the first time and around $40 in later years.

Canada

File:Canada vehicle inspections.svg

  Emissions test required in some regions

  Periodic safety inspection

  Emissions test in some regions and safety inspection upon vehicle transfer

  Safety inspection upon transfer of the vehicle

Emission testing programs in Canada include AirCare in the Lower Mainland only of British Columbia and Ontario's Drive Clean in Southern Ontario only.

Safety testing regulations vary through the different provinces. In Manitoba for example, upon buying a car (new or used), a valid safety check must be done before it can be registered. Dealerships are required to provide the buyer with a new safety, while private sellers are not (if a private seller so chooses, they may pay for, and issue a new safety in order to make it more appealing to buy). In either case, If the vehicle bought has not had a safety test within the last year, the buyer must safety the vehicle before it can be registered with autopac. From the point the car is registered, no safety test is required as long as the car remains with the current owner (however, if something goes wrong, automechanics and dealerships have the right to refuse to let the client drive out with an unsafe car).

The provinces of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island require annual safety inspections, in Nova Scotia, a safety inspection is required every two years. Ontario and British Columbia require bi-annual emission testing, although only the Lower Mainland of BC, which includes the city of Vancouver, and the southern part of Ontario, require any testing. The rest of the province is without such legislation.

Mar 2008 "CAA-Quebec is recommending that the government implement mandatory inspections for motor vehicles more than eight years old, because this would result in significantly fewer emissions being produced by Quebec's automobiles."

United States

PennDOT-issued sign at an auto garage stating that it performs vehicle inspections for cars registered in Pennsylvania.

Wisconsin vehicle emissions inspection station

Main article: Vehicle inspection in the United States

In the United States, each state government is free to decide whether to require vehicle safety inspection, as well as the specifics of the inspection program. 18 states have a periodic (annual or biannual) safety inspection program, while Maryland requires an inspection prior to registration or transfer of ownership only.

Under the Clean Air Act (1990), states are required to implement vehicle emission inspection programs in metropolitan areas whose air quality does not meet federal standards. The specifics of those programs vary from state to state. Some states, including Florida, Kentucky and Minnesota, have discontinued their testing programs in recent years with approval from the federal government.

In most states, such inspections are done at state-operated garages, usually near the local DMV office. Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, Texas, North Carolina, New Hampshire, and Virginia are notable exceptions, instead opting to have privately-owned garages doing inspections with approval from the state DOT.

On August 1, 2010, New Jersey became the 30th state that does not inspect vehicles for safety. They continue to emission-test all vehicles under 5 years old.

Asia

Japan

Main article: Motor-vehicle inspection (Japan)

Under the Japanese shaken (車検) program, personal cars and 2 wheeled motorcycles have the first shaken last 3 years with every 2 years requiring a new shaken.

China

Chinese Rural Vehicle (CRV) operators can be fined by the police if their vehicle emits visible smoke. Regulations are established and enforced by province/economic region/city as appropriate. New vehicles must pass regulations (Euro spec) in effect on the day of manufacture.

Singapore

Cars are required to obtain a safety and emissions inspection every other year starting in the third model year, and annually after 10 model years. Motorcycles and mopeds must be inspected annually starting in the third model year. Buses, taxicabs, commercial vehicles, and trailers must be inspected every year or six months depending on the vehicle's age. An up to date inspection (if required) is needed to renew a vehicle's road tax.

Turkey

Until 2008 the vehicle inspection was limited to administrative checks (whether all taxes have been paid) and a visual check if the car matches the documents. In August 2005 the Turkish government decided to introduce a vehicle inspection scheme following the directive 96/96/EC of the European Union. Since there was no technical equipment available for real roadworthiness tests a contract was laid out with the German TÜV SÜD that was presenting itself for the task in syndication with two Turkish corporations. The TÜV Türk trust is given a monopoly on car inspection for 20 years. Beginning with 2009 the TÜV test is mandatory for all cars with the inspection scheme to follow the German inspection scheme - however there is a transition period up to 2013 where established TÜV regulations are not followed as strictly as in mainland Europe. The shift in vehicle inspection policies is nevertheless rather sharp - since the old vehicle inspection service was strickened with corruption no staff members were taken over to the TÜV Süd, the internal inspection protocol is stricter than in Germany as to prevent any corruption. The introduction of the TÜV was accompanied with a strong propaganda program to agitate the requirement for a modern inspection scheme (e.g. the number of fatal road accidents was three times as high as in mainland Europe despite most of the country to be very rural). Additionally, it is expected that the connection with the German Turks allows for most citizens to have some knowledge how to cope with the TÜV inspection scheme.

European Union

The Council directive 96/96/EC of 20 December 1996 mandates all member states to carry out periodic safety and emission inspections for most types of motor vehicles. It also sets minimum requirements for those inspections and their intervals - for light commercial vehicles (up to 3.5 t) and private cars (up to 8 seats) the first inspection shall occur no later than 4 years and at a frequency of up to 2 years thereafter. All other types of vehicles shall be subject to yearly inspection (busses, vans, trucks, trailers, taxis, ambulances, coaches). Vehicles from the military and fire departments are exempted from the directive.

Austria

Austrian decal

In Austria, all vehicles must undergo a "Wiederkehrende Begutachtung nach § 57a KFG" (recurring inspection under section 57a of the motor vehicle statute). A decal is placed on the vehicle's windscreen (usually the upper left-hand corner as seen from outside the vehicle), hence the inspection itself is colloquially referred to as "Pickerl" (literally: sticker). The color of the decal is white for vehicles with a catalytic converter, and green for vehicles without one. Punch holes indicate the month and year that the next inspection is due. The actual inspection can be carried out one month in advance of that date and up to four months after the date indicated on the decal; the vehicle remains roadworthy during that time. Unless the inspection is overdue in the sense just described, the roadworthiness certificate is transferable, meaning a potential new owner will get a new decal with the same date, but the corrected license plate number upon registration of her vehicle. However, the latest official inspection report has to be presented for this purpose to the authority issuing the new registration documents and license plates.

The first inspection on new passenger cars is required after three years, another one two years on, while thereafter passenger cars must pass the official inspection each and every year to remain roadworthy. Heavy trucks and motorcycles must undergo annual inspections from the very first year. Inspections are carried out by specially licensed garages and by Austria's two major automotive clubs. The Austrian motor vehicle inspection covers both aspects of vehicle safety and emissions standards.

Bulgaria

All cars over 3 years old must undergo an annual test. This test is conducted at accredited garages and at KAT police stations. This test is rather basic with only the brakes being tested.

Finland

Finland has a long tradition of vehicle inspection, dating back to year 1917. Vehicle inspection was initially carried by cities and provincial inspectors but starting from year 1968 the inspection moved to national governing body of road vehicle administration known as Autorekisterikeskus. In 1994 the vehicle inspection was opened for competition and in 1996 Autorekisterikeskus was split as administrative body Ajoneuvohallintokeskus (AKE) and inspection company Suomen Autokatsastus Oy. Nowadays, Liikenteen Turvallisuusvirasto TraFi, the successor of Ajoneuvohallintokeskus since beginning of the 2010, governs the inspection companies and keeps track of inspection quality and the inspections are carried by private companies. During the years, the inspection procedures and facilities have improved greatly and nowadays the quality of inspection is on such level that mechanical failures as immediate cause for fatal crashes in whole country are minimal.

In Finland, the "Määräaikaiskatsastus" (periodic inspection) is required for all passenger cars, vans, trucks, ATVs and for trailers with maximum structural weight of more than 750 kilograms. Inspection interval depends on vehicle class and usage. For privately-used passenger car, inspection must be carried after three and five years counting from the specified date of first deployment and every year after fifth year. For privately-used van, the first inspection must be carried after three years and every year after third year. If there is no specified date of first deployment (for instance 00.00.1987) the time of inspection is determined by the last number of license plate. The inspection period also varies depending on vehicle class and usage but for privately-used passenger cars and vans the length of the period is four months preceding the date specified in date of first deployment or four months preceding the last date of inspection specified by the license plate number.

The periodic inspection includes verification of vehicle register information (VIN, taxes, insurance), a test drive, brake testing, inspection of lights and compulsory equipment, superficial inspection for visibility and handling hindrances and bodywork, undercarriage inspection for suspension parts and corrosion and emission measurements (requirements vary depending on propellant and date of first deployment). The emission measurement can be taken on a registered repair shop prior to the inspection. If done so, a proper measurement certificate must be shown at inspection. Upon passed inspection, a new "Part one" of registration certificate is printed and handed to customer among with inspection report. If inspection fails, the faults found during the inspection must be repaired and the vehicle needs to be shown at the same inspection station for "Jälkitarkastus" (recheck) within one month of the inspection.

France

Vehicle testing has been mandatory in France since 1992. The first inspection (Contrôle Technique) is carried out after four years then subsequently every two years. A blue and white CT sticker affixed inside the windscreen indicates when the next test is due. A less than 6 month valid CT is required prior to transfer of ownership.

Germany

German decal

Germany requires safety inspection and emission inspection every two years for passenger cars. New passenger cars have to obtain their first roadworthiness certificate after three years. Heavy duty vehicles need to be presented to the vehicle inspection authorities (e.g. TÜV, DEKRA, KÜS, GTÜ, ...) every year. The safety inspection decal is placed on the rear license plate; the emission inspection decal was placed on the front license plate until it was phased out in 2010 and integrated into the safety inspection).

Ireland

Main article: National Car Test

In Ireland, the National Car Test (NCT) is required for cars four or more years of age to be inspected for various items, such as brakes, lighting, bodywork condition, emissions, etc. A disc which must be displayed on the windscreen is issued to cars that pass the test. The disc is valid for two years, after which the car must then be retested.
A Certificate of Roadworthiness is required for goods vehicles, or vehicles carrying more than eight passengers (buses). This is commonly referred to as a "DOE" cert and the test is carried out in approved garages.

Norway

In Norway, the vehicle inspection is called "Periodisk Kjøretøykontroll", which translates to "Periodic vehicle inspection", although it is commonly referred to as "EU kontroll", for its origin from the European Union. When a car is 4 years old it must undergo its first inspection. After this, inspections will be required every second year. Buses, taxicabs and ambulances are inspected every year. The inspection focuses on safety and emission. After the inspection is completed, you will be given a check list with errors that must be repaired before the vehicle can pass. If the car only have errors marked with 1, or none errors at all, the car will pass immediately. The errors are rated depending on how dangerous they are, with the grades of 1, 2 and 3. Errors marked with 1 will not require a re-inspection. Errors marked with 2 will require a re-inspection, but the owner can use the car until the inspection deadline. Errors marked with 3 are very rare, and prohibits the user from using the car until those errors are repaired.

The inspection cost is usually between 75-130 US dollars (400-700 Norwegian Kroner). You can have your vehicle inspected at garages approved by the NPRA. Without a passed inspection, the license plates will be withdrawn and the car will no longer be street legal. The police and the NPRA are checking license plates at a regular interval to check if the car has passed the inspection, if the road tax is paid and the car is insured.

Poland

In Poland there's an annual inspection requirement for most vehicles. New passenger car vehicles (of age 4 or less) have to be inspected every two years. Inspections are performed by accredited garages. The inspection includes checking of main car systems like brakes, suspension, lights and steering, as well as emission and presence of mandatory equipment. An additional, separate inspection is required for cars that are running on autogas. Pass of inspection is confirmed in registration certificate. When car does not pass the inspection, owner is requested to remove the cause and then pass subsequent inspection. Registration certificate may be also revoked in case the vehicle is in fatal technical condition.
Driving a car without valid inspection is subject to a fine.

Spain

Spanish vehicles are required to undergo an Inspección Técnica de Vehículos, better known as the ITV.

Sweden

The road worthiness of cars is tested once every year for modern cars, every second year for cars classified as veteran/classic cars (currently occurring when the car reaches age 30). Since July 2010 the inspection can be performed by any vehicle inspection body accredited by SWEDAC. Before 1 January 2010, when a vehicle had passed inspection and road tax and insurance had been paid, the owner would receive an adhesive sticker to attach to the rear license plate, thus making it easy for the police to see if a vehicle is roadworthy. This sticker is no longer in use.

The Netherlands

In The Netherlands the "Algemene Periodieke Keuring" (APK) or General Periodical Inspection is mandatory for vehicles aging 3 – 50 years. The inspection of vehicles up to 30 years old is annual, bi-annual for vehicles from 30–50 years old, older vehicles are exempt. The inspection includes conforming to safety and emission standards in force in the year of first introduction of the car. Registration is all digital and public, there are no longer visible stickers or decals on the vehicle, and since July 2008 the paper inspection report does not need to be carried in the car anymore.

MOT Logo

United Kingdom

Main article: MOT test

The Department Of Transport (formerly the Ministry of Transport, hence it being usually referred to as the MOT) test is a mandatory annual test of safety, roadworthiness and exhaust emissions for vehicles over three years old.

Oceania

Australia

Main article: Vehicle inspection in Australia

Vehicle inspection in Australia is done on a state basis. Each state or territory has the authority to set its own laws pertaining to vehicle inspections, all (with the exception of the self governing territory of Norfolk Island) have some form of inspection, either periodically or before a transfer of ownership.

New Zealand

The New Zealand Transport Agency requires most vehicles to maintain a Warrant of Fitness through periodic inspections from licensed inspectors. Cars and light vehicles newer than six years old must be inspected at least once every twelve months; older cars require six-monthly inspections. Heavy vehicles and some classes of light vehicles (such as rental cars) must instead maintain a Certificate of Fitness, which requires a six-monthly inspection regardless of the age of the vehicle.

See also

• Automobile safety

External links

• ROAD CHECK MOBILE PRE-PURCHASE AND CAR WARRANTY INSPECTIONS in Sydney, New South Wales
• CHECK-IT AUSTRALIA- Prepurchase Vehicle Inspection.org
• CITA-Vehicle Inspection.org
• Vehicle Inspections in the UK
• NRMA
• Vehicle Inspection ( Araç Muayene) Turkey TUVTURK
• [1] Autospections
• AUTOSPECTOR Florida Pre-Purchase Vehicle Inspections
• Workshop Vehicle Inspection, MOT & Warranty