Controversial or not – regular vehicle inspections are important
Reading this, you may well respond with a bla-bla-bla! So many institutions talk, write, and debate the current state of roads and high accident rate, but real improvement, is well, not registering on the radar.
Proper road and vehicle maintenance, supported by annual multi-point inspection protocols and consistent law enforcement, can improve the situation.
Poorly maintained vehicles with worn tyres and poor road surfaces filled with potholes constitute accidents waiting to happen and research shows that the aforementioned absolutely do contribute to accidents.
Julian Pillay, national director of the Vehicle Testing Association (VTA), a proud association of the Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) adds the lack of periodic testing of vehicles as a contributing factor.
Stats from the NATIS system confirms that, at the end of July 2022, there were 13.154 registered vehicles in South Africa. Only 21% of these by law required regular testing which then leaves 79% with not being required periodic testing.
Vehicles are aging. They may be technically and legally compliant but that does not automatically qualify them as roadworthy.
Pillay says, “Essentially a roadworthy inspection reviews the safety items of the vehicles as specified in the National Road Traffic Act (NRTA) and relevant standards, whereas a multi-point inspection, while it includes safety items, also includes quality items. For example, during a roadworthy test, the air-con of a vehicle will not be assessed, but during a multi-point inspection, this will be commented on.”
He says with so many complex moving parts in modern cars, trucks, and SUVs, it is not uncommon to have underlying problems you may be unaware of. To catch any issues before they turn into a safety hazard it would be advisable to conduct a multi-point inspection (MPI) on a vehicle either at purchase or if you have had your car longer than five years.
“This inspection, as outlined above, provides a comprehensive evaluation of nearly every component of your vehicle. Knowing the condition of a vehicle can help you catch and address potential issues before they lead to dangerous failures or costly repairs and ultimately devalue the asset,” he explains.
Several vehicle testing stations do this nationally and Pillay says the VTA itself has just launched a VTA multi-point inspection (MPI), which will assist consumers and financial institutions to assess the condition of a particular vehicle.
The benefit of annual multipoint testing is that it will be transparent on the current state of a vehicle at the point of sale and this test will also indicate latent defects.
“This really is one of the only truly unbiased reflections of the vehicle at the time of inspection and would serve as an influential and game changing tool for both sellers and buyers as it removes any uncertainties about the vehicle’s condition,” he concludes.
Source: Cathy Findley PR
