New fines related to the ITV from June

From June 1, 2021, the modifications that the General Directorate of Traffic will apply to the Technical Inspection of Vehicles come into force, mainly focused on the fines related to it.

This increases the penalties for driving a vehicle with an expired ITV or that has passed the inspection with a negative or unfavorable result.

Normally, the factors that indicate an unfavorable ITV tend to coincide and are related to lighting and signaling failures, interior fittings, emissions or tires, mainly.

Unlike the unfavorable ITV that allows driving from the ITV station to the workshop and back to the station, the negative ITV implies the complete immobilization of the vehicle. A negative ITV can be caused by several faults, among them, brake failures, fuel leaks, tires, etc. stand out.

Therefore, the difference between the two is the seriousness of the fault found in the vehicle, which determines whether the vehicle can circulate, although only to go to the workshop to solve the fault, or it cannot circulate, forcing to move the vehicle by crane to the workshop for repair.

In both cases, two months will be available to resolve the fault in a mechanical workshop and pass the inspection again.

The fines vary between €200 and €500, depending on the seriousness of the offence:

Circulating with the expired ITV entails a penalty of 200 euros, with a 50% reduction for prompt payment, and without loss of points. Being sanctioned for this reason also entails the immediate obligation to carry out the ITV.

In case of driving with a vehicle that has been detected serious defects that lead to an unfavorable Technical Inspection, the penalty will also be 200 euros, with a 50% discount for prompt payment, and does not involve loss of points.

Things get complicated when we drive with a vehicle considered unfit for driving, as it is the result of the negative ITV. In this case, the penalty increases to 500 euros, does not involve loss of points, but there is no possibility of a discount for paying before.

There are also fines related to the ITV sticker. Driving without it in a visible place in the vehicle, usually in the upper right corner of the front window, is a minor offense sanctioned with €80.

The ITV sticker is indicative, marking the month and year in which the next inspection must be passed. Therefore, to find out if your vehicle has an expired ITV, you have three ways to find out:

- Consulting it in the new miDGT app, which we already talked about in this article.

- Looking at the back of the sticker where the date is indicated

- Consulting the report of the last inspection

Many people mistakenly believe that they have 30 days after the expiration date of the ITV to pass the inspection. Others believe that they can spend the entire month marked on the sticker, or even during the month following the marking.

The reality is that your vehicle must pass the inspection before the exact date marked for the next revision. The next day you can already be sanctioned for being expired.

Nor is the popular belief true that you can drive a vehicle with an expired ITV as long as you have already made an appointment and can prove it. This is not the case and, if a traffic agent checks the documentation of a vehicle with an expired ITV, he will penalize the driver, even if he shows that he has already made an appointment with an authorized center.

To finish, we recommend that, in order to avoid sanctions, you ask for an appointment at an authorized center to carry out the Technical Inspection of Vehicles well in advance. Depending on the area, these centers can be somewhat saturated and not have free hours until after a few weeks, especially if our schedule to go is limited.

You can pass the ITV up to 30 days before its expiration date, keeping the date of the next inspection. That is, if our ITV expires on July 1, we can pass it from June 1. Regardless of the day we pass the inspection, the next one will be six months or a year after July 1, depending on the age of the vehicle.

In our online store you will find products for the maintenance and improvement of the different systems of your vehicle, and in this way ensure a favorable result in your next ITV

A clear example is the maintenance additive of diesel engines of the prestigious Auxol brand, which we have represented since the 1990s, with excellent results for our clients.

Auxol diesel maintenance guarantees permanent cleaning of the injection system, reduces fuel consumption by up to 6%, micronizes and neutralizes the water, cleans and extends the life of the filter, catalyst and exhaust pipe, reduces emissions and improves cold starting.

One liter is recommended for 1000 liters of diesel, as regular maintenance. If you need a shock treatment, two liters are recommended for every 1000 liters of diesel.