(Press-News.org) This news release is available in Spanish.
These conclusions were the most notable of those drawn by ISVA's evaluation of the vehicle inspections carried out in 2011. A total of 14,858,585 vehicles were inspected, 2,864,070 of which were rejected, which constitutes a 19.27% rejection rate The study also highlights the impact caused by the fact that one fifth of Spain's vehicle fleet does not undergo the obligatory inspection. If 20% of those vehicles that did not have a technical inspection had done so, at least 7,100 accidents, 7,000 injuries and 110 deaths more could have been prevented.
In economic terms, vehicle inspections save the country 300 million euros due to the deaths, injuries and accidents that are prevented. This figure could reach 500 million euros if that 20% of vehicles that are absent underwent inspections, according to the study carried out by UC3M's Instituto de Seguridad Vial de los Vehículos Automóviles Duque Santomauro (Duque Santomauro Institute for Vehicle Road Safety - ISVA).
The oldest vehicles present the greatest number of defects in all the vehicles types that were analyzed (private cars, moped, motorcycles and light commercial vehicles), which means they can rightly be qualified as the most unsafe vehicles. In addition, they are less environmentally friendly and they register the highest incidence of non-presentation for periodic inspections. When the vehicles in question are light commercial vehicles, their unsafe condition is evident, as these vehicles register the highest percentage of serious defects in their lights, tires and brakes.
Methodology
The estimate of the reduction in the number of accidents due to Vehicle Technical Inspection was carried out using a mathematical model based in the European project AUTOFORE, which was also used in the first version of this study, published in 2007. As a sample for the study, we have used more than one million vehicle inspections of all types of private cars (9.9% of the total inspections carried out in Spain); more than 54,000 motorcycle and moped inspections (6,4% of the total); and more than 161,600 light commercial vehicle inspections, which make up 5.5% of the total.
From the accident statistics provided by the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT – Department of Motor Vehicles), the number of fatalities and injured victims per accident for each type of vehicle was calculated. With the number of accidents that have been prevented known, and with the previous ratios in mind, the number of deaths and injuries that have been prevented can be calculated. Finally, an economic estimation of savings in millions of euros, based on the number of accidents prevented can be made.
INFORMATION:
Technical inspections of vehicles prevent 170 fatalities per year
2013-05-13
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