Vehicle inspection regulations and compliance

In mid‑July, Dekra announced special Sunday hours for vehicle technical inspections at seven stations in Costa Rica, urging drivers to book appointments and keep their cars road‑worthy. In the same statement the firm warned that roughly 30 % of vehicles subject to Spain’s ITV (Inspección Técnica de Vehículos) were not being inspected, highlighting recurring safety defects in lighting, tyres and brakes.

A ten‑day later update detailed Spain’s expansion of ITV rules. The Dirección General de Tráfico introduced stricter schedules for agricultural machines, tractors and related equipment, with age‑based inspection intervals that become annual after certain thresholds. Additionally, semi‑annual inspections were mandated for camper‑vans older than ten years, with fines for non‑compliance, effectively raising the inspection burden for owners of these vehicles.

Together, the snapshots illustrate a broader push by regulators and inspection firms to tighten vehicle safety oversight both in Central America and Spain, moving from highlighting compliance gaps to implementing more demanding inspection regimes for specific vehicle classes.