Vehicle inspection
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
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.
With regard to safety inspection, there is some controversy over whether it is a cost-effective way to improve road-traffic safety.[1][2]
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[edit] Americas
[edit] Canada
Emission testing programs in Canada include AirCare in British Columbia and Ontario's Drive Clean in Ontario.
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 Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island require annual safety inspections. Ontario and British Columbia require biennial emission testing.
[edit] 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. Not all states require it, most do not; some states that used to require it have discontinued it.
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.
[edit] States and Federal Districts with periodic (e.g., annual) vehicle safety inspections
- District of Columbia (every two years[3])
- Hawaii (every year, except brand new vehicles receive an inspection valid for two years, ambulances, rental cars, vehicles used in public transportation, and other, every six months)
- Louisiana (every year; emission test in the Baton Rouge metropolitan area)
- Maine (every year)
- Massachusetts (safety inspection every year, emission inspection every two years)
- Missouri[4] (every two years[5])
- New Hampshire (every year[6])
- New Jersey (every two years)
- New York (every year)
- North Carolina (every year; some counties require emissions testing as well)
- Pennsylvania[7](every year; emissions inspections every year in 25 of 67 counties[8])
- Rhode Island (safety and emission inspection every two years)
- Texas (every year; emission test in the largest urban areas)
- Utah (every two years for the first eight years, then every year)
- Virginia[9] (every year;[10] emission inspection every two years in certain urban and suburban jurisdictions[11])
[edit] States with safety inspection only required prior to sale or transfer
[edit] States which only require federally mandated emissions inspections
- California (for most ZIP Codes, every two years for all vehicles made after 1975 which are more than six years old)
- Colorado (in some localities, every year or two, depending on age and type of vehicle [14])
- Florida (six counties)
- Georgia (metropolitan Atlanta area only[15], every year, most recent three model year cars are exempt)
- Ohio (seven counties)
[edit] Europe
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This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it. |
Include information about common European Union rules.
[edit] Germany
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 is placed on the front license plate (the emission decal on the front plate will be phased out until 2010 and then be part of the safety inspection.
[edit] Ireland
In Ireland, the National Car Test (NCT) is required for cars 4 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 re-tested.
[edit] United Kingdom
The Ministry of Transport test (more usually: MOT - pronounced by spelling out the letters) is a mandatory annual test of safety and roadworthiness for vehicles over three years old.
[edit] Sweden
Svensk Bilprovning AB ("bilprovningen") tests the road worthiness of cars once every year (every second years for cars older than 35 years).
[edit] Asia
[edit] Japan
Under the Japanese shaken (車検) program, when a vehicle turns 3 years old, it must get an inspection every two years, until it turns 10 years old, when it must receive one every year.
[edit] China
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This section is a stub. You can help by expanding it. |
[edit] References
- ^ "Cost-Effectiveness of Periodic Motor Vehicle Inspection" University of Michigan (U.S.A.) Transportation Research Institute, January 1985 (PDF file)
- ^ "Cost Effectiveness of Periodic Motor Vehicle Inspection", report for the (Australian) Federal Office of Road Safety, April 1999 (PDF file)
- ^ http://dmv.dc.gov/serv/inspection/inspect_renew.shtm
- ^ http://www.mshp.dps.mo.gov/MSHPWeb/PatrolDivisions/MVID/index.html
- ^ http://sos.mo.gov/adrules/csr/current/11csr/11c50-2.pdf
- ^ http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rules/saf-c3200.html
- ^ http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/inspections/safety.shtml
- ^ http://www.drivecleanpa.state.pa.us/drivecleanpa/map.htm
- ^ http://www.dmv.state.va.us/webdoc/moving/newva.asp
- ^ Virginia Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Program, from the Virginia State Police
- ^ Emissions Inspections, Virginia (U.S.A.) Department of Motor Vehicles
- ^ http://mva.state.md.us/AboutMVA/INFO/58000-01T.htm
- ^ http://www.mde.state.md.us/Programs/AirPrograms/Mobile_Sources/veip/about/description.asp
- ^ Colorado Motor Vehicle Emissions Program
- ^ http://www.cleanairforce.com/
