The Technical Vehicle Inspection (ITV) is a mandatory and periodic review that all cars must pass satisfactorily in order to circulate safely and legally. The ITV was established in October 1981 and since then the inspection protocol has been updated as cars have evolved and equipped with new driving aids, known as ADAS (Advanced Driving Assistance Systems, for its acronym in Spanish). in English).
On May 20, the new revision of the ITV Procedure Manual, version 7.7.0, will enter into force, in which two new tests have been introduced. These are the eCall emergency call system and the OBFCM (On-Board Fuel Consumption Meter) data collection. The text also contains corrections to errata and clarifications regarding the Manual currently in use.
The eCall system is a system that new vehicles have implemented, which automatically makes a free emergency call to 112 when a serious traffic accident occurs. The eCall can also be activated manually by pressing a button. This system is mandatory for vehicles approved as of March 31, 2018 in the European Union and has contributed to reducing the number of fatalities, as well as the severity of injuries caused by traffic accidents, thanks to the rapid warning to emergency services.
This element must be checked periodically to ensure that it functions correctly throughout the life of the vehicle. For this reason, from now on ITV stations will begin to check the correct state of the aforementioned system during the periodic inspection of those vehicles that have it installed.
This is a new function that is granted to the ITV for the collection of anonymous data in order to establish strategies from the point of view of road safety and, in this case, environmental protection, according to the operation of the vehicles. The collection of data related to the consumption of fuel and electrical energy will be done at the community level. The European Commission warns that the data obtained may not be used, processed or taken into account for the result of the inspection.
This data collection is applicable for light vehicles registered from January 1, 2021 with the following technologies:
Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
Non-plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
Pure combustion vehicles (without electric hybridization).
The new version of the ITV Procedure Manual also clarifies and updates the persons who are allowed to install anti-sun adhesive sheets on the front windshield. Previously, it was only possible to install it in vehicles driven by people diagnosed with lupus.
With the new version of the Manual, any other disease whose effects in terms of UV exposure are equivalent to those of lupus is allowed.
The employer of the AECA-ITV inspection stations warns that to pass the inspection satisfactorily these sheets must be approved. Also, remember that the installation of the filters must be duly justified.
