The focus of this new law is to improve road safety, with stricter penalties for smartphone usage and simplified drug testing procedures.
Alongside these road safety measures, the bill introduces changes to vehicle registration procedures. In the previous instalment, we discussed changes pertaining to number plates. In this fourth part of the series, we delve into electronic communication during registration and some new terminology on the registration certificate.
Formerly, the grey and yellow cards featured the designations propriétaire (“owner”) and détenteur (“holder”). Now, an additional term titulaire (“beneficiary”) will be incorporated, aligning with an EU directive. Pol Philippe from the Ministry of Mobility illustrates this with the example of a leased car:
“The owner would be the leasing company, the holder a bank perhaps, and the beneficiary would be the individual who drives the car daily.”
This change also simplifies matters for those purchasing a car privately abroad, as they will no longer need to prove the entire sales chain with the last three contracts, according to Philippe, the head of the Vehicle Engineering Department.
In addition, the new law aims to improve electronic communication between various actors, including the National Society of Automotive Traffic (SNCA) and customs, particularly when importing a vehicle, which currently necessitates the 705 vignette on paper. With improved communication, the SNCA could proceed with registration once customs confirm VAT payment.
It’s important to note that while the law establishes the framework, practical implementation is still in progress. The ultimate goal is to render paper documents obsolete, including insurance certificates. During vehicle registration, residents will no longer need to produce a physical insurance certificate, as the SNCA will access the relevant information from an electronic database.
Finally, the law introduces an exemption for special police vehicles from regular technical inspections, replacing the existing derogation practice in this domain.
Part 1 of this series
Part 2 of this series
