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If you own a car in Spain, you’re no stranger to the ITV (Inspección Técnica de Vehículos) - Spain’s version of the UK’s MOT test. Every two years (or annually for older cars), vehicle owners must book an appointment at an ITV centre, where mechanics meticulously check everything from the lights to the tyres to ensure the car meets road safety standards.

 

Only then can drivers secure the all-important ITV sticker, allowing them to legally hit the road for another couple of years.

 

For those with a taste for the classics, there’s some really good news, as from the start of this year any car or moped registered before January 1, 1950 is exempt from the ITV test. This new rule is part of an effort by Spain’s DGT (Directorate-General for Traffic) to protect and recognise historic vehicles as part of the country’s cultural heritage.

 

By removing the ITV requirement, authorities hope to encourage more classic car enthusiasts to register their vehicles as historic.

 

 

Over in neighbouring Portugal, motorcycle riders have been fighting for 12 years to remove the ITV requirement for their bikes, arguing that it’s unnecessary. Parliament has finally listened and scrapped the rule, claiming that motorcycle accidents aren’t primarily caused by mechanical failures.

 

Instead, Portuguese authorities believe that riders are already highly aware of the risks of driving an unsafe bike.

 

And the figures actually do back this up. Despite motorcycle ownership increasing by a staggering 400% since 1995, fatalities from bike accidents in Portugal have dropped by 80%. Between 2010 and 2020, Portugal recorded a 47% reduction in road deaths, making it the second-best performing country in the EU for road safety improvements.

 

France tried to resist the European Union’s push to introduce mandatory ITV for motorcycles, but eventually gave in to the pressure.

 

Spain, on the other hand, is upping restrictions on bikers, making new licences and protective gear mandatory this year.

 

Here, removing the requirement for motorcycles would be far more complicated. ITV centres play a major role in the economy and regular vehicle inspections are considered a normal part of life for Spanish drivers. Unlike in Portugal, there’s little public pressure to abolish the rule, meaning motorbikes in Spain will likely continue to require an ITV for the foreseeable future.

 

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