Roadworthiness testing from 1 July – TÜV SÜD video shows what's new

Munich (Pressweb) - Test drives, testing of electronic safety systems and an end to antedating throughout Germany – from 1 July onwards, comprehensive changes will be introduced to roadworthiness testing. TÜV SÜD explains these changes awaiting motorists and other new developments in a video that can be watched on the Internet at www.tuev-sued.de/auto_fahrzeuge.

Lateness: The issue that raised most attention in the runup to the amendment was the abolition of antedating. In future, the date of the next roadworthiness check will no longer be determined by the actual due date but by the date on which the roadworthiness check actually takes place. An invitation to play for time? No say TÜV SÜD's experts. Vehicles presented to the roadworthiness check more than two months after the deadline will have to undergo a more in-depth inspection in the future, for which motorists will be charged a 20-per-cent higher fee. In addition, as in the past, these motorists run the risk of being fined by the police. Motorists causing an accident with a vehicle on which the TÜV sticker has expired further risk losing their insurance cover.

Practice-tested: One new feature of the roadworthiness check is a test drive, which will be carried out at the start of each roadworthiness check in future. During the short trip at a speed of at least eight kilometres per hour, the electronic systems will be activated and conditioned.

Interconnected: Electronic safety systems, such as airbags, ABS, ESP and active cruise control will move even more into the focus of roadworthiness testing in the future. Using a special test instrument, the 'HU-Adapter', TÜV SÜD's experts will connect to the vehicle's OBD (on board diagnosis) interface and check the reliable and safe functioning of the safety systems. However, this test will only be introduced step-by-step from 2013 for vehicles registered for the first time from this July onwards.

Transparent: Another new feature for all vehicles on the road to the TÜV sticker: from July onwards all inspection organizations throughout Germany will use a standardized fault tree. In practice, this means for motorists that inspection reports will now supply a precise description of where a defect was identified. "If a car fails the TÜV tests because of a faulty light, the report will inform the motorist in the future that, say, the adjustment of the right headlamp was incorrect. Motorists can basically pass on the TÜV report as a repair order to the garage", says Puls.

TÜV SÜD has documented the new features in a video which shows the roadworthiness inspection process of the future. To watch the video, log on to www.tuev-sued.de/auto_fahrzeuge

Further information for motorists is available at www.tuev-sued.de/auto