Mandatory annual technical inspection for vehicles over 10 years old: "This measure leaves us perplexed," reacts the League against road violence

The association's vice-president, Pierre Lagache, points out that the age of vehicles is only a factor in 20% of serious accidents, "which is not insignificant."

"This measure still leaves us a little perplexed," reacted Pierre Lagache, vice-president of the League Against Road Violence, on franceinfo on Wednesday, May 7, while a European Commission project aims to make technical inspections mandatory every year for vehicles over 10 years old. A rumor about this was circulating in France at the beginning of February. It was denied by the Ministries of Regional Planning and Ecological Transition.

"Road accidents are multifactorial, but in more than 90 % of serious accidents, there is a behavioral problem," explains the vice-president of the League Against Road Violence. The obsolescence of vehicles is not as present in the causes of serious accidents. It represents "20%, which is not negligible," agrees Pierre Lagache. He questions, however, the presence of "convincing elements" that could demonstrate a "significant impact on road safety" if we went "from a two-year period to just one year" for technical inspections.

He also highlights the fact that it will be "the less fortunate motorists who will be the most exposed" , because the average age of vehicles in the French fleet is eleven years. "This is a measure that should make us question socially" , he points out. "There is room for action in terms of road safety, and we are calling on the government to act, but this measure still leaves us a little perplexed" , concludes the vice-president of the League against road violence.