This is good news for road safety and for the environment.
According to data from technical inspections compiled by Mobilians, the employers' organization for trades in the distribution and automotive services, the state of the French car fleet is improving while the average age continues to rise.
Proof that motorists pay more attention to their vehicles.
It must be said that in recent years, under regulatory pressure, technical control has evolved a lot.
Five years ago, on May 20, a strict control came into force, punishing a certain number of failures more harshly.
Resulting from a European directive, this completely redesigned control was signaled in particular by the introduction of a new series of so-called “critical” failures.
The inspected vehicle which suffers from one or more failures qualified as critical is seen affixed to the windshield a sticker signifying the obligation of counter-visit.
And its owner only has the end of the day to take his vehicle to be repaired, without risking being fined if he is arrested!
A revolution.
Since that date, whatever the failures involving a counter-visit, the motorist has a maximum period of 2 months.
After this time, he will have to retake the entire control.
The motorist therefore benefits from a little less than two months to have his vehicle repaired, which must be taken to the repairer on a plate because he is struck with a non-authorization to circulate.
In practice, no one can oppose its use but the motorist exposes himself to a fine if he is arrested by the police.
With the new regulations, the control now covers 606 points: 139 minor failures, 340 major failures and 127 critical failures.
Main consequence: motorists are encouraged to better maintain their vehicles in order to avoid immobilisation for critical failure and costly repairs.
If according to Mobilians, the rate of counter-visits is slightly down despite an increase in the number of vehicles checked, the bad apples are still just as numerous.
Last year, nearly 160,000 dangerous vehicles were detected.
“Unsurprisingly, the rate of counter-visits increases with the age of the vehicle.
Thus, vehicles over 10 years old, which represent 59% of the inspected fleet, have a rate of counter-visits of more than 25%”
, summarizes Mobilians.
Furthermore, the organization puts into perspective the high recurrence and the rate of counter-visits.
Checked annually, heavy goods vehicles have a check-up rate of less than 11% when LCVs, which are checked every two years from the fourth year onwards, and whose use has intensified in city centers ( last kilometres, high mileage, minimum maintenance, multiple drivers, etc.) have a counter-visit rate of around 23%.
As for vehicles subject to specific regulations such as taxis, ambulances and tow trucks whose technical inspection is annual, they have a counter-visit rate of 14%.
This is hardly reassuring and highlights the progress to be made in this area with more regular checks by the police.
