The Spanish traffic authority Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) mandates that all cars, motorcycles and other vehicles must pass the mandatory technical inspection (ITV, or Inspección Tecnica de Vehiculos) in order to drive legally on Spanish roads.
A few weeks ago, a survey by the group Informes Mecánicos – a group of entrepreneurs from the automotive industry – stated that there are currently more than 3 million vehicles in Spain that do not have a valid ITV sticker. In a report, Informes Mecánicos also specified the specific number according to the type of vehicle: passenger cars, motorcycles and other vehicles.
Findings from the study
The figures refer to vehicles that are less than 25 years old and driving around without a valid inspection, vehicles that are in a garage and do not have a valid ITV, or abandoned vehicles that have not yet been deregistered. It is estimated that 9.8% of all vehicles under the age of 25 in Spain do not have a valid ITV. That means there are 3,072,016 of them. Broken down by type of vehicle, only 6.3% of passenger cars are on the road without a positive ITV, while the percentage for motorcycles is 23.3% and 15.8% for other vehicles.
Where do most vehicles drive without a valid inspection?
Melilla tops the ranking, with 20.5% of the vehicles registered there without a valid inspection, 11,316 vehicles. In second place are the Balearic Islands with 16.7% of vehicles without an ITV. Ceuta is number three with 16.4% of the total number of registered vehicles.
On the other hand, Madrid is the autonomous community with the fewest vehicles without an MOT on its roads, with only 7.1% of the total, followed by Navarre and La Rioja, with 7.5% of the fleet under 25 years old.
What is the fine for driving with a negative ITV inspection?
In the case of driving a vehicle with a negative ITV, the fine can be up to €500. In addition, the possibility of getting a discount for quick payment expires, as it is considered to be a very serious offence.