South Meath Driving School

The National Car Test (NCT) is a preventative road safety measure aimed at ensuring older vehicles are in sound working order. Nearly half of all collisions involved vehicles that were 9 years old or more in ’07 and 45% of serious injury in that year also involved vehicles that were 9 years old or more. A car can be any age , yet be roadworthy, thereby lies the problem with the owner. It is a small minority of people who are putting their own lives and the lives of others at risk by driving dangerously defective vehicles: the defect may be worn brake pads/discs, bald tyres etc.

In Ireland, cars must be tested 4 years after first registration and, thereafter, every two years. Should one fail the NCT, a retest must be booked within 21 days, and the vehicle must be presented again for a followon test within four weeks. Meanwhile, the vehicle may be driven on public roads provided it does not have a dangerous defect. A retest which does not require the use of a test-lane is free of charge. These are minor visual items like wipers and registration plates. Meamwhile, drivers should have in their possession the notice of the followon test for inspection by the Gardai, if required. A test may be done anytime within 3 months of the expiry date of the NCT disc. In ’08 over 835,000 cars were tested at NCT centres.

Penalty points, for not having a valid NCT disc displayed, apply following a Court conviction ( 5 points, thank you. ) For failing to remedy a defect, identified in a NCT test incurs 3 penalty points. Add to that a maximum fine of up to 2,000 eur and 3 months in jail.

To book a NCT : it may be done here or phone 1890412413.

The NCT test includes:

Brakes

Exhaust Emissions

Wheels and Tyres

Lights

Steering and Suspension

Chassis and Underbody

Electrical systems

Glass and Mirrors

Transmission

Interior

Fuel System

Miscellaneous items.

Some are of the opinion that having a car tested to discover all its defects, then take it to a garage, just for those repairs, is a cheaper way of doing the job. The chic mechanic calls it ‘mean’ and says there may be other defects in the mechanism etc. of a car which may not be uncovered in the NCT alone and which could be detrimental to the longterm life and safety of the car. Owners of cars may not be notified of a due date for the NCT, therefore owners should check for the 4 year deadline (from date of first registration) or, thereafter, check the disc and apply for the test a few months before expiry date. ( For a driving test, the NCT disc must be displayed on cars etc. that are 4 years or older.) There are some subtle little matters to be attended to, apart from the heftier mechanical stuff like the registration plate must be clearly legible, showing the EU flag, the county in which registered and, if the garage provider displays their name etc., it must be in a separate frame at the bottom of the plate; hub caps must be removed and the rear seat centre seatbelt should be rolled up neatly. Amber lenses that have faded to near white must be replaced. Any ‘With it’ mechanic will put you merrily on the road to a ‘Pass’ and the short change left in your pocket still affords the comfort of knowing that you are now roadworthy for another two years. (And, Oh, watch out for the little crater that looks like a pothole, they keep garages open longer hours!)

When the NCT was introduced in 2000, less than 4% of vehicles passed the test first time out, however, since then the pass rate has climbed to 70% for cars that are 4 years old. Those 9 years old have a pass rate of just 30% at first attempt. Overall, the benefits to the environment, with less pollutants, cleaner air to breathe, more flowers for bees to pollenate, is an important contribution to road safety and a greener planet.