In accordance with the European Communities (Vehicle Testing) Regulations 2004, S.I. 771 of 2004, all commercial vehicles over one year old (including vintage trucks) must complete a roadworthiness test and have a valid Certificate of Roadworthiness if used in a public place. Although there is no exemption for vintage vehicles, such vehicles are tested to the standards that the vehicles concerned were originally designed to meet.
Regular testing ensures that all commercial vehicles, regardless of age, are maintained to a minimum standard of roadworthiness. Vintage veteran vehicles, even if only covering low mileage, may still have roadworthiness concerns such as perishing of rubber components or seizure of brake actuators following periods of inactivity.
To exclude, or have a lesser quality of test for, any category of vehicle from an annual Commercial Vehicle Roadworthiness Test, based solely on the declared usage of the vehicle, could have road safety implications. It could also lead to the anomalous situation whereby vintage vehicles being used commercially may unfairly seek to claim an exemption from roadworthiness testing.
In accordance with Action 59 of the Road Safety Strategy 2013-2020, the RSA will conduct a review of the roadworthiness testing of vintage vehicles to determine the safety case and cost benefits, if any, for the inclusion or exclusion of such vehicles in roadworthiness testing. I have asked the RSA to bring forward this review and have it completed before the end of the year.
