Mission Statement: to assist the integration of foreign residents living in Spain
By Adam Woodward •
Updated: 13 Nov 2024 • 10:25 • 1 minute read
New on-the-spot roadside vehicle inspections aim to catch out drivers with dodgy motors.
Brand new mobile units operated by the DGT (General Directorate of Traffic), the official government body legally overseeing motor vehicles, and accompanied by officers of the Guardia Civil, have been randomly stopping vehicles to carry out roadside evaluations of their roadworthiness.
Well within their legal right to, they have stopped over 6,000 vehicles for an on-the-spot check already. The stops are neither announced nor forewarned and can catch many drivers unaware.
Any vehicle that circulates on roads can be subjected to an ITV technical inspection regardless of how long it has been since the driver last took their motor for an official check-up.
Roadside inspections can check axles, wheels, tyres, suspension, chassis, and polluting emissions
Agents from the ITV (technical inspection of vehicles) have been carrying out tests, sometimes just visually, sometimes with all the technical instruments they would normally use in an ITV centre.
These random inspections on public roads can check everything from vehicle identification to braking equipment, steering, visibility, lighting equipment, electrical system components, axles, wheels, tyres, suspension, chassis, and polluting emissions—practically the same as in any mandatory ITV appointment.
As well, during these surprise checks, agents usually also check cargo holds and certificate verifications. In the event that there are doubts in these inspections and the technical staff decides that it must be more precise, any vehicle can be subsequently directed by Guardia Civil to a fixed ITV station for full verification.
Serious faults with vehicles or paperwork can lead to serious fines or even license suspension.
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A vehicle that has passed a test is roadworthy at the moment of the test not the period until the next test is required
Simple example: You leave the test station and drive over a broken bottle which damages a tyre. The vehicle is then not roadworthy.
PS Most, if not all insurance companies require a vehicle to be roadworthy for the insurance to be valid.
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