What is the Vehicle Inspection Policy?
2 Answers
Vehicle inspection is essentially a health check for cars, and vehicles that fail the inspection are not permitted to drive on the road. Currently, the Ministry of Public Security has introduced new regulations for vehicle inspections in 2021, which mainly adjust the inspection items and came into effect on January 1, 2021. According to the "Motor Vehicle Safety Technical Inspection Items and Methods," the adjustments to inspection items are divided into two parts: private cars and freight vehicles, as detailed below: 1. Added Inspection Step: Private cars now include a "safety defect recall" step in the online inspection process. If a car has safety issues and the manufacturer is recalling it, the inspector will notify the owner about the recall situation. 2. Clarified Scope of Visual Inspection: The new regulations specify and relax the visual inspection standards, allowing modifications such as grilles, running boards, roof racks, and bumpers during the inspection. 3. Three Additions and Six Deletions for Freight Vehicles: (1) Newly Added: Three new inspection items—tire tread depth, wheel lifting device, and wheelbase. (2) Deleted: Six old items—noise, speedometer, suspension efficiency, fuel economy, power performance, and headlight offset.
As a seasoned driver with over a decade of experience, the annual vehicle inspection policy is a government regulation that requires cars to be sent to inspection stations every year or every two years to check safety and emissions. The core purpose is to ensure vehicles are roadworthy. It mainly involves checking whether the brakes are responsive, headlights function properly, steering systems operate smoothly, and whether exhaust emissions exceed standards—especially now with stricter environmental regulations and increasingly higher emission standards. New cars only need annual inspections after the first six years, but as vehicles age, inspections become more frequent. Failing to comply on time may result in fines starting from 200 RMB if caught by traffic police, along with potential penalty points and impacts on insurance claims. I think this policy is crucial for reducing traffic accidents. Regular maintenance of lights and tires is advisable to avoid delays and extra costs during inspections.
