The Technical Vehicle Inspection needs to be approached with foresight. Booking an appointment in good time can save us a few headaches if we cannot do without our vehicle in summer.
Congestion at Technical Vehicle Inspection (ITV) stations turns this legally required check into a nightmare, both for private individuals and for professionals. It is happening these days in some parts of the country, such as on the island of Mallorca or in the province of Castellón, where waiting times for an appointment are stretching to as long as two months. For this reason, the main advice when booking an appointment to pass the ITV, especially at this time of year, is to request it before the expiry date (and close to that date).
On this REAC blog we have already looked at the question of ITV prices depending on the Autonomous Community. A problem for consumers’ already battered pock
ets, in regions where the rates are double. However, the issue of passing the inspection in the summer season is no less important. If we have a trip in sight, or we simply spend a good part of our working day on the road – hello, tow-truck operators! – it concerns us, and a great deal.
The documentation we need to carry must be in order. All we need is the ITV technical data sheet, the vehicle registration certificate and proof of payment of compulsory insurance. Remember that a new vehicle is exempt from the obligation to pass the inspection until four years after it is first registered, while from the fourth year up to the tenth year the inspection is every two years. Once our car is more than ten years old, we have to pass the ITV every year.
Useful tips (before going to the ITV station)
As we do not want to join the club of the two million vehicles on Spain’s roads with an expired ITV, we will need to make an effort. As well as booking an appointment well in advance of the inspection, we should check the condition of the tyres and their tread depth (the wear limit is 1.6 millimetres across the entire tread). The lights and signalling must be in good condition, as must the suspension system (watch out for the shock absorbers), and the exterior condition of the vehicle (broken mirrors, for example).
Checking the seat belts, doors and windows, as well as the seat anchorages… is advisable: during the inspection, the technicians will do so. Noise and smoke levels also matter, especially if they are over the limit. In the 21st century, penalising motorised pollution in cities is a fact.