Snap one EU survey on car inspections in Italy
Everything starts from a given: in our country out of 100 cars subjected to inspection, 99.8 pass the exam. A percentage that drops drastically at the European level where they are promoted il 90%. Hence the complaint Federispectors, the association for the protection of the technical inspectors responsible for the ministerial audit, at the European Union and the start of the investigation.
Views thereand outlier statsthe suspicion is that in Italy the reviews are at least superficial, a detriment of road safety. Indeed, without a thorough examination of old cars, the probability of accidents increases in a country where, among other things, the average age of the vehicle fleet is among the highest in Europe (12 years). In addition there is the problem of‘pollution related to exhaust gases.
A problem that comes from afar
The problem of easy revisions it’s not new and it does not concern only Italy which is also the “black shirt” in the Old Continent. Already a decade ago the EU passed legislation con more rigid procedures during the ministerial verification. A imposition, however, remained on papergiven that the percentage of rejected vehicles has certainly not increased.
But what are the reasons for such a situation? According to Federispettori in Italy i 9,500 control centers where the reviews are made they are much more than necessary. And so to attract customers there are those who wink and promote vehicles that instead deserve to be rejected or to be “postponed to September”. Then there is the issue of insufficient personnel in the Ministry of Infrastructure which in turn should check the activity of the controllers. Without inspectors, explains the association, there is no supervisory activity. In the end who carries out the tests on cars it is almost always an employee of the review center and that generates a conflict of interest which undermines the impartiality of decisions.
Where can the investigation lead?
The fact is that now the European Union it will have to establish whether there are fake or tame revisions in Italy. And if this is ascertained, it is possible that an infringement procedure will be opened against our country, proceeding with the sending of a “letter of formal notice”. At that point the State will have to present its own defense brief to avoid litigation and sanctions. While waiting for the investigation to complete its process, Federispettori has proposed to Brussels to act immediately on two fronts: requiring Italy to increase the number of technicians in the ministry’s supervisory body and making those who carry out the inspections (as is already the case for trucks) independent of car control centres.
Revisions: the differences in Europe
In our country, the initial inspection must be carried out 4 years after the car’s registration date, after which it is necessary to have the car checked every 2 years. For british cars the review follows these deadlines: 3 years and then every year. When a motorist goes for an inspection, he is given a certificate that will serve to indicate the date for the next “inspection”. Same speech in Germania where the inspection for new cars is expected after three years, while the subsequent checks after 24 months. The case of the is different France where the car inspection takes place every two years, in line with European standards.
As for the Czech Republic, after 4 years there is, the first revision. Subsequently, checks should be done after 2 years. Also in Spain the first inspection must be done after 4 years of life of the vehicle and, subsequently, every 2 up to 10 years. After 10 years of life of the car, the inspection is annual. Finally there is the case of Swiss in which the first inspection is mandatory four years after the first putting into circulation, then three years after this first inspection and then the vehicle must be inspected every two years.