The European Commission will tomorrow (13 July) propose the extension of mandatory vehicle-testing to include motorbikes and scooters. 

Current rules setting minimum standards for vehicle checks date from 1977, and do not cover two- and three-wheeled vehicles. Eleven member states do not conduct safety tests on these vehicles. Technical defects are responsible for 8% of accidents involving motorcycles, compared to 6% for vehicles in general.

Rules for cars would also be tightened under the Commission proposal. Cars would have to be inspected after four years and again two years later, as is the case at present. But, following this six-year period, cars would have to be inspected annually rather than every two years, as current rules state. Older cars and those with significant mileage would have to undergo annual checks after the first four-year test.

The proposal comes at a time when the pace is slowing in the reduction in road deaths in the EU, according to the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC). “We hope this new proposal will represent a small but significant step towards reaching the 2020 road-safety target of halving deaths on Europe’s roads,” said Ellen Townsend, ETSC’s policy director.

The Commission proposed rules for two- and three-wheeled vehicles back in 2010, but there was little progress in discussions with MEPs and member states. Manufacturers complained that the safety requirements would be overly burdensome.

Cross-border rules

The proposal also aims to move towards the harmonisation of vehicle checks from country to country. It sets common minimum standards for deficiencies, equipment and certification. Methods of conducting spot- checks on commercial vehicles would be harmonisted, and data on registered vehicles would be stored in national electronic registers, which could allow access by other member states.

In April, the Commission proposed a simplified procedure for vehicle registration when moving from one member state to another. But it stopped short of introducing a pan-EU registration certificate.

The Commission has plans for a second phase of roadworthiness legislation that would involve linking existing national databases. It says its ultimate goal is to allow mutual recognition of roadworthiness certificates.