Roadworthy checks are both a legal requirement and responsible approach to ensuring your vehicle’s safety on the road. Unfortunately, legal requirements for roadworthy checks can leave opportunity for neglect that can result in tragic consequences.
Legal requirements:
- Passenger vehicles only require roadworthy testing when ownership changes.
- Public transport (including minibuses) and heavy commercial vehicles need annual roadworthy checks.
- Busses must have roadworthy checks every six months.
The CEO of MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, cautions that there are both legal requirements and moral obligation with conducting roadworthy checks. “Particularly in passenger vehicles, which can be used for many years before a roadworthy check is required, fleet managers should make roadworthy checks a regular requirement irrespective of legal requirements.
“As a provider of driver training, MasterDrive attests to the important of this. Training cannot be conducted in a vehicle that does not meet basic roadworthy requirements. Yet, the number of unroadworthy vehicles arriving for training is much more common than we would like to see.”
The onus to ensure a vehicle meets roadworthy requirements rests with both fleet managers and drivers. “While a fleet manager is responsible to initiate repairs or replacements to ensure vehicles are roadworthy, it is often drivers that first identify these issues.
“Processes should be instituted with zero tolerance for neglecting pre-trip inspections. These inspections will be the first identification of issues and consequent timely corrective action. Road safety is a collective approach where all individuals work together to achieve this.”
There are two ways in which regular roadworthy checks can be conducted. “The typical vehicle components that are checked include the engine, lights, indicators, tyres, brakes, brake fluid, handbrake, steering and alignment, shocks, exhaust system, windows, windscreen, windscreen wipers and doors.
“Ultimately, due to the role these components play in road safety, it is often best that a professional preforms the roadworthy checks. They will quickly identify problems and rectify issues faster than a fleet manager may do. The Vehicle Testing Association (VTA) is such an organisation that can assist businesses in performing these checks,” says Herbert.
At the upcoming Automechanika Show on 19 November 2024, VTA will present information to assist organisations in meeting both legal and additional roadworthy checks. Attendance to the event is at no charge but registration is compulsory to gain entry. If you recognise the importance of regular roadworthy checks, register on the link below to secure your spot:
https://app.messereg.com/events/vip/VTAIMBIZO2024-WorkingtogethertoimprovetheSouthAfricanfleet
A roadworthy vehicle that both drivers and fleet managers can trust will ensure they arrive safely at their destination cannot be underestimated. “Each time a vehicle leaves an organisation, both fleet managers and drivers need to be sure their vehicles will not fail them in the worst possible way,” says Herbert.
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