MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTION UNIT
• The Motor Vehicle Inspection unit is charged with the responsibility of ensuring the provisions of the Traffic Act, Chapter 403 Laws of Kenya and subsidiary rule thereunder relating to Motor Vehicle examination is complied with by all vehicle owners in order to mitigate against road accidents.
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• Checking the vehicle is roadworthy before driving
• Ensuring that any equipment, fittings and fixtures required are present and serviceable
• Not driving the vehicle if faults are present or develop
• Ensuring all actions taken when driving the vehicle are legal
• These checks will help ensure your own safety and that of any passengers or other road users. 2
VEHICLE INSPECTION
• A properly maintained & fully functioning vehicle meeting all safety requirements is less likely to be involved in a road accident.
• Roadworthiness checks not only contribute to road safety by making sure the vehicle is functioning properly, they are also important for environmental reasons and for ensuring fair competition in the transport sector.
• There are two types of roadworthiness assessments:
• On‐the‐spot roadside inspections and periodical checks for which the owner of the vehicle must take it to a Motor Vehicle inspection centre. 3
PERIODICAL CHECKS
• The Traffic Act legislation ensures that all public sever vice and commercial vehicles are inspected at regular intervals
• This legislation provides a basis for checking that Public Service Vehicle and Commercial Vehicles in the country are in a roadworthy condition and meet the same safety standards as at the time of their initial registration. 4
ROADSIDE INSPECTION
• Under our legislation, unannounced technical roadside inspections of Public Service Vehicle Commercial Vehicles and privately registered saloon cars can be carried out. These checks cover brakes, steering, suspension, emissions transmission, electrical systems and assessment of general condition of the vehicle including tyres..
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WHY ROADSIDE TRAFFIC CHECKS ARE NECESSARY
• All motor vehicles emit pollutants which affect air quality and contribute to acid rain and the threat of global warming among others. Road side checks are used:
• To take the worst polluting vehicles off the road
• To take unroadworthy vehicles off the road
• To check on vehicles that do not comply with the law as far as construction, equipment and use of vehicles is concerned
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• to check on vehicles operating without the statutory papers or fake documents
• to make the motoring public aware of the importance of maintaining vehicles and keeping to the legal emission limits and safety standards all the time and not just at the time of the test
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VEHICLE MAINTENANCE AND ROAD SAFETY
Background information
• Road safety requires not only driver ‘s fitness but vehicle fitness
• A well maintained vehicle not only speaks volumes about the owner, but will protect him from losses on the road and damage/injuries to other road users .
• Many accidents caused by vehicle failure can be prevented and many stranded motorists face the preventable risk of criminals next 8
to the road.
• It is important that we address the importance of vehicle maintenance for road safety and create awareness of preventive steps in properly maintaining our vehicles
IMPORTANCE OF EFFECTIVE MAINTENANCE
• Effective and proper maintenance will provide many benefits to the vehicle owner, including :
• Saving fuel and money as mechanical systems of the vehicle affect fuel efficiency
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• Reducing long‐term maintenance costs
• Minimize harmful exhaust emissions and protect the environment
• Increase reliability of your vehicle and limit the risk of vehicle breakdown
• Increase the resale value of your vehicle
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Basic Maintenance of Your Vehicle
• It is best to leave the servicing of your vehicle in the hands of trained automotive professionals/mechanics. They have the knowledge and tools to diagnose and correct problems and to put you on the road to safe, fuel‐efficient driving. • Preventive maintenance by the driver could also help avoid vehicle break‐down.
• The service schedule should be thorough, regular and frequent in line with the manufacturer’s guidelines and also dictated by common sense
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IDENTIFYING ASPECTS IN NEED OF MAINTENANCE
• The best and most efficient method of knowing about your car and keeping track of it is through the owner’s manual which provides complete information on how to go about it. • You can inspect your car every time you enter it, or on a daily or weekly basis or at intervals specified in the manual. Read the owner’s manual carefully to become familiar with your vehicle’s maintenance schedule and requirements. Maintenance regimes vary widely from one vehicle to another‐ the manufacturer of your vehicle knows best
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Additional “Maintenance Friendly” suggestions.
• Always use genuine spare parts
• Give your vehicle anti‐rust coating
• Avoid accelerating and braking abruptly
• Drive at a moderate speed to maximize fuel efficiency
• Avoid riding on the clutch pedal, and release the clutch pedal fully while driving
• Maintain optimum air pressure in your tyre to improve mileage
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• Limit the number of vehicle makes and models in your fleet for better workshop and parts store/procurement management. The system will also all staff to specialize in maintenance repair and servicing of the vehicle fleet. • Ensure technical staff attend regular training courses designed to sharpen their skill and knowledge on vehicle maintenance, repair and service programmes. • A void hitting your tyres against Kerbs, especially when parking. This can cause the tyre to weaken internally without showing any damage on the outside
• Check your spare tyre from time to time . You never know when you might need it
• Invest in technology for better fleet management and fuel economy systems. Other benefits include:
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• Online speed monitoring to ensure compliance with the set 80kph speed limit • Effective engorcement of maxdimum driving hours (8hours) for commercial goods and Psv
drivers in any period of 24 hours in compliance with section 66 A of Traffic Act.
• Reduced accident rate
• Automatic score rating of drivers for appropriate records and bonuses from accrued‐savings THE INSPECTION TEST FOR YOUR VEHICLE
• Everyone who uses a vehicle on the road must keep it in a roadworthy condition. The vehicle test checks that vehicles meet road safety and environmental standards
THE INSPECTION CERTFICATE
• The inspection certificate confirms that at the time of the test, without dismantling it, the vehicle met the minimum acceptable
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environmental and road safety standards required by law. It doesn't mean that the vehicle is roadworthy for the length of time the certificate is valid and is not a substitute for regular maintenance
WHAT THE INSPECTION TEST INCLUDES
The inspection is a check of the vehicle to ensure that key components have not worn or deteriorated and that the vehicle is safe for normal road use. 18
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A roadworthy inspection mainly covers the major safety related items, including:
Wheels and tyres
Steering, suspension and braking systems
Seats and seat belts
Lamps and reflectors
Windscreen, and windows including wipers and washers
The structure of the vehicles itself
Other safety related items on the body, chassis etc. 19
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• All vehicles degrade in service. Regrettably, many vehicle owners do not adequately maintain their vehicles, so significant numbers of defective vehicles are in use, a matter of concern as poor vehicle condition has an adverse effect on safety and the environment.
• The need for roadworthiness enforcement is greater than ever because roads safety and environmental protection are now more reliant on the correct functioning of technologies that are increasingly taking over aspects of the driver’ tasks as a means of eliminating or mitigating the effects of human error. Failure of these technologies in service results in the loss of the benefits they provide.
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Vehicle owners and users have the prime responsibility to maintain their vehicle in a roadworthy condition at all times when used on public roads and not during inspections.
• Roadworthiness enforcement is required to ensure that vehicle owners and users are aware of their obligations and act responsibly.
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PURPOSE OF REOADWORTHINESS ENFORCEMENT
• Roadworthiness enforcement is defined as all activities that are undertaken independently of the owner or operator to ensure vehicles conform to all statutory requirements while in use on public roads. • A vehicle is defined as being ‘roadworthy’
when its performance and condition meets or exceeds agreed standards. This includes safety, environmental and other standards. 23
• The purpose of roadworthiness enforcement is to ensure that the benefits accruing from the original design and manufacture of vehicles are retained, and maintained , throughout the life of the vehicles.
• To examine the justification for a particular approach to improving roadworthiness enforcement, identifying all the benefits that will be realised is also necessary. The benefits can be divided into two groups; primary and secondary .
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The primary benefits are identified as;‐
• Improving road safety by reducing the number and severity of road traffic accidents caused by vehicle malfunction
• Reduced impact on the environment and public health through reductions in the level of pollutants emitted by vehicles
The Secondary benefits, which are becoming increasingly important are;
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• Reduced traffic congestion caused by vehicle breakdowns and accidents, taking into account the greater impact of accidents involving heavy commercial goods and passenger vehicles
• Increased personal security and reductions in theft on transit • Improved transport efficiency, including optimising energy use and whole‐of‐life vehicle costs.
• Improvements in roadworthiness enforcement will also result in other benefits that are not strictly roadworthiness‐related. Those items include checking insurance documents etc. 26
MAINTAINING ROADWORTHINESS RESPONSIBILITIES
• It is the responsibility of operators and drivers of vehicles to ensure that the vehicle’s they use are roadworthy as it is an offence to use an unroadworthy vehicle on the road.
• Driver’s are responsible for the condition of their vehicles when in use on the road and must, therefore, be able to report any defects or symptoms of defects that could prevent the safe operation of vehicles. Driver’s must monitor the roadworthiness of their vehicles
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when being driven and be alert to any indication that the vehicle is developing a fault e.g. Warning lights, exhaust emitting too much smoke, excessive noise and vibrations or any other symptoms including loss of braking power and poor/deteriorated handling characteristics.
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SAFETY CHECKS
There are some important checks that you should carry out before starting a journey. You do not have to be a mechanic to carry out these tests, they are easy to do and can help avoid a serous accident. The driver has a legal responsibility for;‐
• Ensuring legal requirements are met before driving the vehicle.
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• Checking the vehicle is roadworthy before driving
• Ensuring that any equipment, fittings and fixtures required are present and serviceable
• Not driving the vehicle if faults are present or develop
• Ensuring all actions taken when driving the vehicle are legal
• These checks will help ensure your own safety and that of any passengers or other road users. MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTION UNIT
INTRODUCTION:‐
• The Unit is a technical arm of Police Department mandated with the responsibility to ensue that vehicles operating on our roads comply with specifications outlined in the Traffic Act in relation to body design construction and use regulations.
FUNCTION
The Unit functions are as follows:
• 1. INTITIAL INSPECTION:‐ To determine status of commercial goods and public service vehicles before registration.
• 2. ROUTINE/PERIDICAL INSPECTION:‐
Annual/Half yearly inspection to gauge roadworthiness of commercial goods and public service vehicles and ensure compliance with Traffic Act Cap 403 Laws of Kenya and Subsidiary rules there ‐under.
FUNCTION cont
• 3.RANDOM TRAFFIC CHECK INSPECTION :‐ To check compliance of all categories of motor vehicles to the Traffic Act Cap 403 Laws Of Kenya.
• 4. SPECIAL INSPECTION:‐ To determine roadworthiness of modified vehicles, as well as verification of change of class and vehicle details e.g. engine change.
A memorandum is also issued to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles confirming the new vehicle status after modifications or change of physical particulars .
FUNCTION cont
• 5.RE‐INSPECTION:‐ To be done after failed initial /routine/periodical/random inspection.
• 6. ACCIDENT INSPECTION:‐In aid of Police Investigation to determine pre‐accident status of vehicles involved in road traffic accident and for motor vehicle inspection report analysis in addition to defending the report in a court of law.
NOTE:‐ In order to discharge the above functions, the motor vehicle Inspector must be gazetted on appointment by the Minister of Transport as stipulated under Section 3(3)(b) of the Traffic Act.
FUNCTION cont
• 7. The unit also works very closely with other government Ministries, Departments, agencies and other stakeholders namely:‐
MINISTRY DEPARTMENT AGENCY
AREA OF CO‐OPERATION
NEMA/UNEP
‐Environmental pollution by vehicle emissions, particularly in urban areas
‐Low sulphur in diesel fuel compaing project.
MOR/RB
Axle load and vehicle body dimensions to protect our roads and bridges
POLICE/TLB/
RMV
Enforcement of Traffic Rules/Regulations/Registration and Licensing of Vehicles
KEBS
Formulation of Standards on vehicle parts and accessories
NRSC(MOT)
To formulate polices on National Road Safety programme.
SEAMLESS TRANSPORT COMMITTEE
Regional body set up to address barriers to free flow of goods and trade on the Northern Corridor .The Northern Corridor starts from port of Mombasa to Bujumbura in Burundi. Members of the committee are Kenya, Uganda, VEHICLE INSPECTION GENERAL
• Why Vehicle Inspection ?
• A motor vehicle like any other mechanical machine consists of numerous moving components which wear out gradually in spite of the quality of lubricant applied. The general performance of the vehicle will then begin to deteriorate if the worn out parts or components are not replaced or attended to as may be necessary e.g. worn out piston rings will cause the engine to lose compression, resulting to emission of excessive smoke due to incomplete burning process of fuel in the engine. The engine will also generate less power than designed to propel the vehicle under all road conditions in addition to the high fuel consumption.
• It is therefore the responsibility of the vehicle owner or person in‐charge of fleet maintenance to ensure that repairs are done as may be necessary and regular maintenance service programe put in place. The repairs should be done by competent technical personnel in a reputable garage with appropriate tools and equipments to prolong the life span of the vehicle. • Remember that what is cheap initially may cost you very dearly in the long run.
Requirements for inspection
• 1. Valid booking receipt from K.R.A. to confirm payment of inspection fee (K.shs.1000)
• 2. Original vehicle log book (or certified copy)
• 3. Vehicle to be inspected
Refusal to inspect
• The examiner can refuse to test vehicle for any of the four reasons:‐
• 1. If it is dirty
• 2. Has insufficient fuel or lubricants to allow safe driving
• 3. Has insecure load (on roof rack)
• The Log Book is not available or physical details differ substantially with particulars in Log Book
A vehicle is issued with roadworthiness certificate and windscreen sticker if certified to be compliant.
VEHICLE INSPECTION CHECKLIST
SECTION
TESTABLE ITEM
INSPECTION TOOLS/TESTING EQUIPMENT
Undercarriage
‐Wheel Bearings/Kingpins and Bushes ‐Electric Pit Jack
‐Stub axle assembly
‐Spot light
‐Steering Mechanism
‐Power Steering
‐Suspension/Shock Absorber
‐Engine/Exhaust and fuel system
‐Gear box/Clutch/Transmission
‐General service brake and air pressure system
Tyres and wheels
‐Tyre type and size
‐Tyre condition/Road wheels and Hubs
‐Spare carrier
Electrical and Lighting System
‐Oblig. Front and Rear Lamps
Headlamp beam setter
‐Oblig Headlamps (Function and Aim)
‐‐Stop lamps
‐Direction Indicators
‐Front/Rear No. plates – Condition ll
Tyre pressure and treat‐depth gauge
Continued vehicle check LIST
Cab & Body Work/Safety Belts
‐Body Color (Checked against specs in Log book
‐Condition of Seats
‐Cab/Body condition & Specifications
Doors, Wings, Bonnet, Bumper Bars & Side Mirrors
‐Windscreen Glass & Other Transparent Materials
‐Markings E.G. Name, Address, TW, LC, PSV, Route Yellow Band Etc.
‐Reflectors/Chevrons
‐Security of Mounting Seat Belts
‐Condition of Seat Belts (Buckles, Anchorage & Adjustments)
General Items
‐Brake, Clutch, Acceleration (Inspection Visual
in Cab)
‐First Aid Kit & Fire Extinguisher (PSV)
Brake performance, Brakes, Shock Absorbers and front suspension and side slip wheel alignment
angle test
Visual
Combination Brake Testing rollers, suspension and side slip testing machine
Continued vehicle check LIST
Test Drive
‐Speedometer
‐Speed Governor Condition (Type & Operation)
‐Vehicle Control & Stability on Test Drive
‐Service Brake Efficiency & Balance
‐Parking Brake Condition (Tested on Ramp)
‐Smoke Emission (Visual)
‐Trailer coupling/Other Connections
Competence in driving all classes of motor vehicles
ROAD SIDE TRAFFIC CHECK
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Roadside Traffic Checks commonly referred to as Traffic Crackdown are usually performed jointly by a team of Police Officers and Vehicle Inspectors for the following reasons:‐
To take unroadworthy vehicles off the road
To take worst polluting vehicles off the road
To check on vehicles which do not comply with body construction, equipment and use regulation.
To check on vehicles operating without proper papers or fake documents.
• To create awareness to the public on the importance or regular vehicle maintenance and not just when due for the test.
IMPORTANT NOTE
• A valid Inspection Certificate/sticker displayed on the windscreen does by no means guarantee that the vehicle is in compliance with mechanical and emission standards. Unintended deterioration of mechanical or emission performance may cause a vehicle to exceed the minimum set limits. The responsibility for Vehicle Roadworthiness is on the motorist and Inspection is not a substitute for regular maintenance
LOW SULPHUR DIESEL
LOW SULPHUR DIESEL
Low Sulphur Diesel contains less than 500ppm (parts per million)
of Sulphur.
Using Low Sulphur diesel has a number of benefits such as:
Decreasing emission of Sulphur oxides which causes corrosion to buildings and affects human lungs.
Decreases emission of particulate matter (PM2.5) – black smoke in diesel engines.
Reduce wear on piston rings valves and corrosion of the exhaust system.
Enable the use of emission control technologies such as Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOCs)
Which Oxidize Hydro Carbons (HC), Carbon Monoxide (CO) and Soluble organic fraction of particulate matter (PM). The lower the fuel Sulphur level, the more efficiently the DOC fractions.
Emission reduction from DOC’s is estimated as follows:
PM - 20 - 50%
HC’s - 60 – 90%
CO
- 60 – 90%
Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOCs) cont
They are the most common diesel emissions control technology available for retrofilling. Installation is straightforward has no other change apart from replacing the muffler (silencer, are needed.
Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF’s)
Functions by capturing Particulate matter in a filter and oxidizing (burning) the particulate.
DPF’s usually require very low Sulphur level in fuel (lisppum) in order to prevent contamination of fuel. Can reduce HC, CO and PM by 90%
Flow through Filter (FTF’s)
The FTF does not physically trap and accumulate PM instead exhaust flows through a medium (such as wire mesh) that has high density of interrupted flow channels, giving rise to turbulent flow conditions.
The filtration efficiency of an FTF is lower than that of a DPF, but FTF is much less likely to clog under unfavorable conditions.
Emission Control for Petrol Vehicle
The 3 Way Catalyst
This is the most common emission control – fitted in petrol engines and can be retrofitted in any vehicle. The application of the technology however require use of unleaded petrol – vehicle engines.
They are installed as standard equipment by the vehicle manufacturer. Globally, 85% of new petrol vehicles are equipped with 3‐way catalysts including 2 and 3 wheel vehicles.
For cars that once had a catalyst installed (such as imported vehicles), it is easy to re‐install the catalyst.
Retrofitting 3 way catalyst with older vehicles
This requires installation of advanced air to fuel measurement equipment and an electronic fuel injection system.
This makes retrofits of older petrol engines prohibitively expensive and therefore unusual.
Hybrid Electronic Vehicles (HEV’s)
HEV’s are powered using a combination of an internal combustion engine and an electric motor.
The design makes the HEV more energy efficient with the potential to achieve twice mileage for petrol engine.
HEV’s are energy efficient for several reasons:‐
– The combustion engine turns off and restarts automatically when idling.
– Battery energy is used to assist engine when necessary.
– The engine’s over capacity is then used to charge battery.
Emission Standards
The current Kenya standards KS1515 on the code of practice for inspection of road vehicles specifies the following emission standards for petrol and diesel propelled vehicle.
Normal Petrol Engine with carburetor
• Carbon monoxide – 3.5%
• Hydro carbons – 1200ppm
On catalytic vehicles
• Carbon monoxide – 0.3% idling speed (500‐700rpm)
• Hydro Carbon – 200ppm
Diesel Engines
Opacity – the rate of light permeating through smoke particles per metre
Normal (Air rated engine) – 2.5/m
Turbo charged engine – 3.0/m