If it says to TÜV, all cars with more than 10 years on the boot must be inspected every single year. In Germany alone, more than 24 million cars will be affected.
In order to increase safety on the roads, the German organization TÜV now requires that cars older than 10 years must be inspected every year. Until now, an interval of two years has been the standard. The change means that approximately 24 million cars in Germany will be covered by the new rules.
TÜV justifies the stricter requirements with the fact that older cars have a higher risk of technical faults that can affect road safety.
Jürgen Wolz, who is a member of TÜV Süd's board, says in an interview to Auto Motor und Sport that cars that are not maintained regularly pose a potential safety risk.
A periodic inspection includes an emissions test and costs around 150 euros, equivalent to almost 1,200 kroner in Germany.
However, Wolz assures that the cost of vision will remain affordable despite the more frequent intervals. This must be ensured through the use of advanced testing technologies.
The proposal for more frequent inspections of older cars is not new. The EU Commission put forward a similar initiative in 2012, but it was then rejected by the EU countries.
The German motorists' organization ADAC also criticized the plans, citing a study that did not show a clear connection between shorter test intervals and road safety. According to German statistics, only 0.6 percent of accidents are due to technical errors.
TÜV also focuses on electric cars. The many modern functions and complex assistant systems in electric cars can currently only be tested to a limited extent.
Wolz emphasizes the need for a modernization of vision so that electric cars can be tested as thoroughly as cars with internal combustion engines. This is decisive, as the share of electric cars in traffic is expected to increase in the coming years.
Here at home, the limit for periodic vision is very different. Factory new cars can drive around for the first four years without visiting an inspection hall. After this, there are two years between the visits. When the car achieves veteran status, there are eight years between visits.
