Roadworthiness[1] or streetworthiness is a property or ability of a car, bus, truck or any kind of automobile to be in a suitable operating condition or meeting acceptable standards for safe driving and transport of people, baggage or cargo in roads or streets, being therefore street-legal.
Certificate of Roadworthiness
A Certificate of Roadworthiness (also known as a ‘roadworthy’ or ‘RWC’) attests that a vehicle is safe enough to be used on public roads. A roadworthy is required in the selling of a vehicle in some countries. It may also be required when the vehicle is re-registered, and to clear some problematic notices.[2]
Roadworthy inspection
Roadworthy inspection is designed to check the vehicle to make sure that its important auto parts are in a good (not top) condition that is enough for safe road use. It includes:[3]
- wheels and tires
- mirrors
- steering, suspensions and braking systems
- seats and seatbelts
- lights and reflectors
- windscreen, and windows including front wipers and washers
- vehicle structure
- other safety related items on the body, chassis or engine
Roadworthy inspection in Europe
In Europe, roadworthy inspection is regulated by regulation Directive 2014/45/EC on Periodic Road-worthiness tests, Directive 2014/47/EC on technical roadside inspections of commercial vehicles and Directive 2014/46/EC.
Directive 2014/45/EC regulates the periodic testing for various kind of vehicles:
- transport of people (M1, M2, M3)
- transport of good (N1, N2, N3)
- trailers of more than 3.5 tonnes (O3, O3)
- tractors of category T5
- since January 2022, two- or three-wheel vehicles in categories L3e, L4e, L5e and L7e, with an engine displacement of more than 125 cm3.[4]
18 of 27 EU member states have required motorcycle owners to have their vehicles checked for road-worthiness.
The directive 2014/45/EC defines obligations and responsibilities, minimum requirements concerning road-worthiness tests, administrative provisions and cooperation and exchange of information.
Minimum requirements concerning road-worthiness tests encompass date and frequency of testing, contents and methods of testing, assessment of deficiencies, road-worthiness certificate, follow-up of deficiencies and proof of test.[5]