TESTING TIMES

Until recently, legislation allowed only the Vehicle Inspectorate (VI) to conduct roadside exhaust emission testing, and owners were required to rectify their vehicles if they failed the test. The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) finances this scheme. From January 1998, seven local authorities have participated in trials to enforce the Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) Regulations 1997. Under this new legislation, local authorities can issue fixed penalty notices to drivers failing roadside emission checks. Two of the pilot authorities have now ceased to operate their schemes, one of them continues testing but does not fine drivers who can show that their vehicles are serviced regularly, and the other four are still running their trials. Police have to be present to stop the vehicles before they are tested. Both numbers and types of vehicles tested have varied from one authority to another. The test time is about 1min for a diagnostic check and 5-10min for a full test of a vehicle. Failure rates among the vehicles tested varied from 3.5% to 10%, but have tended to fall as the trials proceeded. The tests seem to have been conducted well, without technical problems. Most of the authorities consider that their trials have been worthwhile, sometimes producing dramatic improvements.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00396303
• Corporate Authors:

  Hemming Group, Limited

  32 Vauxhall Bridge Road
  London,   United Kingdom  SW1V 2SS
• Authors:
  • BARKER, R
• Publication Date: 2000-2-24

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 18-9
• Serial:
  • SURVEYOR
  • Volume: 187
  • Issue Number: 5570
  • Publisher: Hemming Group, Limited
  • ISSN: 0039-6303

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Drivers; Exhaust pipes; Federal government; Field tests; Inspection; Law enforcement; Legislation; Local government agencies; Motor vehicles; Organizations; Penalties; Police; Pollutants; Tests; Traffic regulations
• Uncontrolled Terms: Responsibility
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 1772: Driver; 2442: Emission; 1534: Enforcement (law); 1384: Exhaust pipe; 183: Government (national); 6226: In situ; 1556: Legislation; 192: Local authority; 9057: Organization (association); 1502: Penalty; 1522: Police; 2264: Responsibility; 6255: Test; 1544: Traffic regulations; 8119: United Kingdom; 1575: Vehicle inspection
• Subject Areas: Law; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00793057
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: May 31 2000 12:00AM