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2016.04.01
Two out of three car owners believe that fewer inspections worsen road safety
The proposal from the Swedish Transport Agency to reduce the inspection intervals has been met with criticism from influential bodies such as the Swedish Transport Administration, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Motormännen and NTF (the National Association for the Promotion of Road Safety). It is now clear that even individual car owners are concerned about the consequences of the proposal.
In a report published last autumn, the Swedish Transport Agency proposed that passenger cars should be inspected less frequently than today. Under current regulations, new cars are inspected for the first time after three years, the second time after a further two years and then annually. The Swedish Transport Agency's proposal entails a reduction to the very lowest level that is legal in the EU, which means that the first inspection takes place at the age of four and then every two years.
According to a recent survey, 65 percent of vehicle owners believe that road safety will deteriorate if the Swedish Transport Agency's proposal becomes a reality.
– The results from the survey confirm the picture I have received when talking to customers and experts. Road safety is important for the individual car owner, says Tord Fornander, chairman of Swetic – Vehicle Inspection Section.
To prevent potential failures, owners of older vehicles often take their cars to the workshop before the inspection. With annual vehicle inspections, vehicle owners have greater incentive to maintain a higher level of service on their older cars.
– Frequent inspections mean that car owners are aware of any faults at an earlier stage. They can then also fix the faults at a lower cost. We are missing out on this with the Swedish Transport Agency's proposal, continues Tord Fornander.
Of the over fifty consultation responses that have been received by the government in response to the Swedish Transport Agency's investigation, the majority are critical of the proposal, which both risks worsening road safety on Swedish roads and reduces the possibilities of achieving climate and environmental goals. The reasonableness of reducing the inspection intervals has been questioned by, among others, the Swedish Transport Administration, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, the Swedish Police Authority, the Swedish Motorists' Association and the trade union Unionen.
Read the full press release here!
