
Roadworthy checks are necessary to ensure a vehicle’s safety in South Africa, however, the legal requirements surrounding these vehicle “report cards” can leave opportunities for neglect.
The law dictates that all vehicles in the country must be assessed for roadworthiness at certain intervals.
Normal passenger cars are only required to undergo roadworthy testing when ownership changes.
Meanwhile, public transport vehicles such as minibuses, as well as heavy commercial vehicles, need annual roadworthy checks, and busses must be evaluated once every every six months.
While the regular checks for commercial and public transport vehicles are more adequate, CEO of advanced driver training company MasterDrive, Eugene Herbert, believes that the lax rules concerning passenger car testing leave much to be desired.
“There are both legal requirements and a moral obligation with conducting roadworthy checks, particularly in passenger vehicles, which can be used for many years before a roadworthy check is required,” said Herbert.
Road safety is a collective effort
Being a provider of driver education, MasterDrive regularly sees the consequences of a lack of regular roadworthy testing requirements in the vehicles arriving for training.
“Training cannot be conducted in a vehicle that does not meet basic roadworthy requirements,” said Herbert.
“Yet, the number of unroadworthy vehicles arriving for training is much more common than we would like to see.”
With no legislation currently forcing vehicle owners to conduct frequent roadworthy testing, the onus to ensure a car meets requirements rests with the owner.
Herbert thus encourages drivers to voluntarily subject their vehicles to regular inspections that will spot red flags before they become serious issues.
The typical vehicle components to check for faults encompass:
- Tyres
- Doors
- Lights
- Brakes
- Shocks
- Engine
- Windows
- Indicators
- Brake fluid
- Handbrake
- Exhaust system
- Windscreen wipers
- Steering and alignment
“Ultimately, due to the role these components play in road safety, it is often best that a professional performs the roadworthy checks,” said Herbert.
“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.”
The Retail Motor Industry Organisation (RMI) has similarly sounded the alarm on infrequent roadworthy inspections of passenger cars in South Africa, and has called on government to take action.
According to the RMI, the amendment to Regulation 138 of the National Road Traffic Act to implement more regular testing was published in 2014, declaring that vehicles older than 10 years should be subjected to a roadworthiness test every two years, at a date to be determined by the Minister of Transport.
However, as of January 2025, the industry is still awaiting confirmation of the proposed legislation.
“One of our main concerns is the absence of a regular regime of testing for 80% of the vehicle population. Private vehicles in South Africa are only tested for roadworthiness upon change of ownership. Vehicles used for reward are tested more regularly, i.e taxis and trucks annually and buses, every 6 months,” said the RMI.
The consequence of this is that of the current vehicle population of approximately 13 million in South Africa, the biggest category – private motor cars and station wagons – do not have to undergo any regular evaluation.
“While the RMI is aware of and welcomes the currently planned initiatives for the enhancement of road safety from the Department of Transport, we firmly believe that the best way to achieve optimal road safety and decrease road fatalities would be to also focus on vehicle safety and reopen discussions around vehicle testing,” it said.
These sentiments were echoed by the Tyres, Equipment, Parts Association (TEPA) of South Africa.
“We have seen the impact of unsafe vehicles on our roads, particularly when safety critical components like brakes, tyres and lighting are not maintained,” said TEPA.
“Not only can technical issues cause accidents and endanger drivers and passengers, but road accidents also place strain on our already overstretched emergency services.”
TEPA says there are many examples around the globe where the implementation of vehicle inspection controls has not only made a positive impact on road safety and reduced road fatalities, but also positively changed the culture of road safety by impacting driver consciousness and contentiousness.
The South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference (SATMC) forms part of the choir, too.
“Too many lives are lost on South African roads and a large contributor of this is unsafe vehicles,” said the SATMC.
“We support the call for more regular testing in an effort to address the high level of road carnage in South Africa.”
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