The DGT will more thoroughly check that you have a valid MOT (ITV) with 30 new plate readers

Keeping the components and elements of our vehicles in good condition is crucial not only for the upkeep and longevity of the vehicle itself, but also for our safety, since we run a serious risk of having an accident and putting our lives and those of others in danger. To remind us that this must be the case, our vehicles must pass the ITV, as you well know, which we will have to take more often as our vehicle gets older.

In Spain, you could almost say that keeping our vehicle in good condition and, consequently, having a valid ITV is crucial, since in our country, according to the dealerships’ own statistics, we have an ageing car fleet that averages around 12 years old. Because of this, we must bear in mind that vehicles aged between 10 and 15 years are twice as likely to be involved in a serious accident compared with those under 5 years old, since the latter have better and more modern safety systems.

Unfortunately, on our roads many drivers travel without a valid ITV, whether through oversight, negligence or simply because they don’t feel like going through the procedure, which is why the DGT regularly carries out campaigns to check that we are indeed driving with our vehicle’s ITV in order. In this regard, the DGT has announced, via its Twitter account, that it will have 30 new readers for checking, which will be distributed randomly across the entire national territory and, mounted on a tripod, can be moved to different locations.

The operation of these readers is quite simple: through the camera mounted on the tripod, Traffic agents will be able to read our number plate, which they will receive on a tablet they carry, in order to check the database to see whether we have a valid ITV or are driving without one. In this way, they will not need to stop traffic or slow it down to check the sticker we must display on our windscreen and, if it is not valid, they will use the photograph taken to issue the corresponding fine.

If any driver finds themselves with an expired ITV, and is unaware of the regulations, they should know that they will face a fine of 200 euros that does not carry any loss of points, a penalty that will be similar if our ITV has returned an unfavourable result, in which case we should only use our vehicle to drive from the ITV station to our workshop to have the necessary repairs carried out. The penalty will be more serious if we drive with a failed ITV, since our vehicle should be immobilised and taken to the workshop by tow truck, as it cannot be driven; if we do drive it and get caught, we will face a penalty of 500 euros.

Finally, it should be noted that since last Thursday the 20th until next Sunday the 26th, the DGT is carrying out one of its special ITV campaigns, in which, in addition to checking that we have a valid ITV, they will also focus on ensuring that our car has elements such as lighting, wiper blades, tyres, windscreens or exhausts, among others, in good condition.