New rules to give traffic police more powers to inspect your car

The draft document giving traffic police more powers has been authored by National Transport and Safety Authority [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

All vehicles involved in accidents will be subjected to inspection if new regulations by the transport authority are adopted.

The regulations, still in draft form, could see traffic police get powers to randomly stop vehicles for inspection.

According the draft, new vehicles will be inspected in their fourth year (after date of manufacture) for the first time and thereafter undergo inspection every year.

All commercial vehicles, public service vehicles (PSV), and school buses shall undergo a preregistration inspection and an annual periodic motor vehicle examination.

“All salvage vehicles shall undergo a salvage motor vehicle inspection and annual periodic inspection thereafter. (Also) All vehicles shall be subject to random traffic motor vehicle inspection tests. Any vehicle involved in an accident may be subject to inspection test,” reads the draft in part.

The inspection will take account of the smallest details of motor vehicles which some motorists, especially in the PSV sector, may term as non-issues.

Some of them include how audible your horn is and the condition of wipers and washers, headlamps, and seat belts.

Others are electrical wiring and battery, braking system, suspension, and direction of indicators.

Speed governors

For PSV inspection, those parts being inspected will include speed governors, fire extinguishers, emergency door indicators, signage, first aid kit, and service doors.

“Where a vehicle fails an inspection, the owner shall cause repairs to be made within 14 days,” reads the draft document.