It would not be incorrect to say that the automobile is one of the greatest inventions in the world. Travelling and transportation have become so much easy with the help of automobiles. Vehicles like cars, four-wheel drive vehicles, sports utility vehicles, vans, and buses make it possible for people to travel even long distances on road with extreme comfort. Automobiles, such as trucks are used for transporting various kinds of goods from one place to another quickly and conveniently.
But just as every coin has two sides, automobile usage also has both positive and negative outcomes. On one hand, efficiency in travelling and transportation has increased. Whereas, on the other hand, road accidents have also increased. The number of accidents keeps growing as more and more people start owning or driving an automobile.
Therefore, concerned authorities and bodies in different regions of Australia have built rules and regulations to ensure the safety of people in vehicles as well as on the road. These rules and regulations might vary from state to state but their purpose remains the same, i.e., to keep the passengers and pedestrians safe. By following the required rules and taking the necessary precautions, accidents can be prevented.
In the state of New South Wales (NSW) of Australia, the road rules have been formulated. All the residents of the state as well as those who enter the state for inter-state travel or transport abide by these rules. The traffic on the roads moves smoothly with the help of these rules.
Vehicle Inspections as a Part of Road Safety Rules
The road rules involve a lot of aspects related to the license of the driver, the insurance of the automobile, the speed of driving, the overtaking of another vehicle, and so on. Some of the rules pertain to lanes, lines, signs, and traffic signals on the road. Rules regarding in-vehicle safety elements, such as seatbelts, backup cameras, and dash cameras also exist.
“What should be the ideal condition of the automobiles?” – This question also comes under the purview of the road safety rules in New South Wales. More often than not, the poor condition of a vehicle becomes a major contributing factor in the happening of accidents.
Therefore, strict regulations are in force to make sure that all the vehicles running on any of the roads within the boundaries of the NSW state are safe for both passengers and pedestrians. Vehicle inspections are also a part of these regulations.
Specific rules apply to different types of automobiles running on roads in New South Wales when it comes to the inspection. These vehicle inspections or checks are carried out as per the set procedure made by the Road and Maritime Services branch of the NSW government. In this blog post, we will cover brief information on two kinds of vehicle inspections. These inspections are blue slip inspections and pink slip inspections. We will also explain in brief white slips and green slips.
Now, the reason why these inspections are popular by the names of different coloured slips is that the report generated after the completion of the inspection is in the form of a coloured document. Hence, the reports are known as ‘blue slips’ and ‘pink slips’. It’s worth mentioning here that the term ‘pink slip’ is no longer applicable legally, but still, it’s used by people.
Blue Slip Vehicle Inspection Explained in Short
The blue slip vehicle inspection is formally known as “An authorised unregistered vehicle inspection”. This inspection is conducted on unregistered light vehicles. Unregistered vehicles include vehicles both whose registration has expired and that have been newly purchased.
These vehicles can be registered in the state of New South Wales only after they clear the inspection. The objective of conducting a blue slip inspection is to ascertain that the vehicle meets standards regarding design, identity, and safety.
The light vehicles covered under the regulations for blue slip inspection are mentioned below:
- Passenger Cars
- All Motorcycles
- Caravans and trailers with an aggregate trailer mass of 4.5 tonnes or less, including those fitted with breakaway brakes, but not including those fitted with air or vacuum braking systems
- Goods transport vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Mass of 4.5 tonnes or less (without power-operated brakes)
All the vehicles that fall into any of the categories described below have to undergo the authorised unregistered vehicle inspection (AUVI):
- Vehicles whose registration has expired more than three (3) months ago
- Vehicles that were written-off but now have been approved for re-registration
- Vehicles that have been brought into NSW from another state or a country
- Vehicles in which significant changes have been made, for example, a new engine installation
- Vehicles whose defect notices have to be cleared
- Vehicles that do not have a number plate
As a vehicle owner, you can visit any of the automobile centres that are approved by the NSW government to conduct blue slip inspections. If your vehicle clears the inspection, you will get a blue slip report, which is usually valid for forty-two (42) days. Within these 42 days, you have to get the registration of your vehicle renewed at the service centre.
For more information on blue slip inspection, you can check the relevant page on the NSW government website by clicking here.
Pink Slip Vehicle Inspection Explained in Short
As we have mentioned earlier in this blog post, the term “pink slip” is no longer an official term for the report generated after this inspection is completed. This inspection is formally known as an “e-Safety Check”. Most vehicles that are more than five (5) years old have to undergo an e-Safety Check every year for the renewal of their registration.
Thus, this inspection is performed on a yearly basis. Whether your vehicle needs to be inspected annually for ensuring safety can be found out from its registration renewal notice. Service centres approved under the Authorised Inspection Scheme (AIS) of the NSW government can carry out a safety check on vehicles.
The following light vehicles have to undergo an e-Safety Check annually once they cross the age of five years:
- Vehicles whose registration has expired more than three (3) months ago
- Vehicles that were written-off but now have been approved for re-registration
- Vehicles that have been brought into NSW from another state or a country
- Vehicles in which significant changes have been made, for example, a new engine installation
- Vehicles used to provide point to point transport
- Vehicles whose defect notices have to be cleared
- Vehicles that do not have a number plate
The objective of this inspection is to ensure that the vehicle meets the required standards in terms of roadworthiness. The registration of the vehicles that pass the inspection can get renewed. e-Safety Check reports or pink slips remain valid for six (6) months. The owner of the vehicle has to renew the registration within these six months.
The following checks are usually carried out as a part of pink slip inspection:
- Tyre quality and tread depth
- Vehicle body condition
- Working electrics such as headlights, blinkers, interior lights and dash lights
- Engine/suspension/exhaust and driveline condition
- Seatbelt condition
- Engine and driveline fluid leaks
- Brake efficiency test
If your vehicle fails the inspection, the technicians at the AIS approved service station will issue a Repairs Needed report to you. This report, which is also known as a ‘white slip’ includes all the repairing work required to be performed on your vehicle in order to pass the e-Safety Check. You have to get the repairing work done within fourteen (14) days of receiving the report. Then, you can make your vehicle undergo an e-Safety check again.
For more information on pink slip inspection, you can check the relevant page on the NSW government website by clicking here.
CTP Green Slip Insurance Explained in Short
Unlike blue slips and pink slips (e-Safety Check Reports), green slips are not reports issued after the vehicle clears an inspection. Green slip stands for CTP green slip insurance, i.e., Compulsory Third Party Insurance. As the name suggests, it’s compulsory for vehicle owners to buy the CTP green slip insurance policy for covering third-party claims.
This insurance policy helps vehicle owners in situations wherein they cause an accident. Whether the owner drives the car or someone else, the policy can be used if the third party makes claims to seek compensation for the injuries caused to them.
Third parties, in this case, include passengers in your vehicle, passengers in other vehicles, drivers in other vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. They can demand compensation for the cost of the medical treatment of injured people. In the state of New South Wales, CTP green slip insurance policy also covers the cost of the medical treatment of the driver of the vehicle in question.
For more information on the green slip, you can check the relevant page on the NSW government website by clicking here.
Wrapping Up
It’s difficult to cover each and every piece of information regarding vehicle inspections required to be carried out in New South Wales in this blog post. Therefore, we have provided the links of official sources of information.
