PERIODIC TECHNICAL INSPECTION ON ROADWORTHINESS

Details on the Dutch APK

(Algemene Periodieke Keuring = Periodic Technical Inspection)
RDW Vehicle Approval and Information

Council Directive 96/96/EC, Article 2 states:

"The roadworthiness tests provided for in this Directive shall be carried out by the State, or
by a public body entrusted with the task by the State or by bodies or establishments
designated and directly supervised by the State, including duly authorised private bodies. In
particular, when establishments designated as vehicle testing centres also perform motor
vehicle repairs, Member States shall make every effort to ensure the objectivity and high
quality of the vehicle testing."

Introduction (related to the vehicle type2 ), to have his

Unlike other European Member
States The Netherlands has deliberately
chosen to involve private companies in the
implementation of the annual obligatory
APK, provided these companies are
certified by the RDW1. This renders
additional investments in independent
testing centres superfluous, ensures
sufficient testing capacity, and enables
people to combine the APK with an
overhaul by a familiar person. The required
testing system quality is ensured by a
rather complicated and extensive set of
requirements, verification options and
sanctions. This leaflet presents a stepwise
explanation, thus providing an insight into
the approach and organization of the APK
in the Netherlands.
Points of departure
vehicle subjected to an APK once every
year. If compliance with the legal
requirements has been established during
regular servicing (combined APK-
examination and regular maintenance or
repair) the vehicle need not be subjected to
another APK by a special testing authority.
Furthermore, the combination of APK and
overhaul stimulates people to pay regular
visits to a qualified car dealer. Advantages
are the prevention of high costs of repair
on any occasion and the consequent
favourable effect on road safety. Unlike the
special APK once per year, these regular
visits do not yield an impression at one
specific moment but ensure regular control
of the technical state of the vehicle
(especially environmental aspects). The
result is a marked improvement in road
safety and environmental
conditions.

The vehicle owner is obliged, after

one or three years after first registration
1 2
See page 6 See page 6

January 2005 page 1

 PERIODIC TECHNICAL INSPECTION ON ROADWORTHINESS
Details on the Dutch APK
(Algemene Periodieke Keuring = Periodic Technical Inspection)
RDW Vehicle Approval and Information
Points of departure (contd)
The vehicle owner is informed in advance
that specific components are due for
replacement. Then it is up to the owner to
decide where to have the vehicle repaired.
If (s)he believes that the vehicle has been
unjustly approved or rejected on the APK,
(s)he may lodge a complaint. The RDW
then determines the extent to which the
decision was justified. For prevention of
approval of an unsafe vehicle from a
commercial viewpoint, there is an effective
governmental supervisory body (RDW)
which performs regular random
inspections and is authorized to impose
heavy penalties.
Selection of APK authorities
Requirements
To ensure the quality of the Dutch
APK, an extensive set of legal
requirements has been compiled for
companies involved to comply with. This
set provides for rigid selection criteria,
instructions and testing options, thus
ensuring effective monitoring of the initial
quality level of the APK companies.
In order to qualify as an APK
company, owners have to comply with
Dutch legal requirements for:
January 2005
Buildings and equipment
Both workshop and working environment
for testing engineers should be approved
for APK operations.
A prerequisite is the presence of adequate
facilities for testing operations such as
emission measurement, lighting inspection,
brake inspection, settlement of
administrative matters and data
communication.
Workshop equipment
The equipment required for APK
operations should be available in the
workshop, and so should their qualification
certificates.
Staff
To be authorized to perform APK, the
owner or any staff member of an APK
company should have successfully
completed a special APK training course.
The APK should be performed by a person
who has attended this course and possesses
the certificate. The name of this person, the
inspector, should be entered in the RDW
records. Once every two years the
inspector is obliged to perform a test to
show that he is still familiar with the
(latest) legal requirements.
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 PERIODIC TECHNICAL INSPECTION ON ROADWORTHINESS

Details on the Dutch APK

(Algemene Periodieke Keuring = Periodic Technical Inspection)
RDW Vehicle Approval and Information

Vehicle testing RDW, via a computer line. As evidence of

the acceptance of the data a transaction
code and, as the vehicle is approved, a new
Procedure
validity date are reported back by the
RDW. This code and possible date are
For the sake of objectivity, quality
entered on the test report, which must be
and uniformity, the certificate holder
signed by the nominated tester before
should perform the APK in accordance
being handed over to the vehicle owner.
with a rigid legal procedure. The first step
The computer system also instantly
is the verification of the validity of the
informs the certificate holder whether a
registration certificate and, via data
random inspection is to be held by the
communication, of various data recorded
RDW. If so, the inspector should keep the
with the registration authority. Whenever
vehicle available to the RDW-
data are out of agreement, the certificate
representative for ninety minutes, while the
holder is not allowed to perform the test,
state the vehicle was in at the moment of
and is obliged, in specific cases, to refer
reporting to the RDW must remain
the vehicle owner to the RDW.
absolutely unchanged.
The only vehicles an APK company
Whenever the owner takes the view
is authorized to test are those falling under
that the vehicle has been incorrectly
the category the certificate has been
approved or rejected, (s)he is entitled to
granted for. A distinction is made between
appeal to the RDW against the inspector's
lightweight vehicles having a permissible
decision. Then the RDW will hold an
maximum mass up to 3500 kg and
inquiry into whether the vehicle has been
heavyweight vehicles having a permissible
justly approved or rejected. The nominated
maximum mass of over 3500 kg. APK II-
tester and the vehicle owner are allowed to
certified testing authorities are permitted to
attend this inquiry. The same complaint
test only lightweight vehicles and APK I-
procedure applies whenever the certificate
certified ones only heavyweight vehicles.
holder and/or the vehicle owner raises an
The minimum level of the Dutch test
objection to the rejection of a vehicle by
requirements is that of European Directive
the RDW after a random reinspection.
96/96/EC. The inspection of a vehicle must
be reported by the certificate holder, to the

January 2005 page 3

 PERIODIC TECHNICAL INSPECTION ON ROADWORTHINESS

Details on the Dutch APK

(Algemene Periodieke Keuring = Periodic Technical Inspection)
RDW Vehicle Approval and Information

APK system monitoring of random inspection is three times higher

than in the N category.
An intensive inspection system is
Inspection effective only if penalties can be imposed
on the parties involved in the event of non-
The quality of the APK is monitored
compliance or serious default. If one
at random by the RDW. The legal rule is
random reinspection by the RDW on a
that a minimum annual rate of three per
testing company site reveal various defects
cent of all inspected vehicles should be
that combine to exceed a specific rate of
considered for reinspection by the RDW.
penalty points or to one extremely serious
The random inspection results are decisive
defect, the result may at worst be the
for the continual verification of the APK in
immediate withdrawal of the APK
general and the assessment of the
certificate. This sanction is also one of the
performance of the individual certificate
options whenever a testing company turns
holders and inspectors in particular. This
out not to comply with the legal APK
assessment is based on a three-category
requirements and rules. The RDW inspects
cusum (cumulative sum) system, which
for this non-compliance at least once every
allows for the results of current and earlier
two years after allocation of the initial
random inspections.
certificate.
Once the first APK certificate has
Apart from the measures in the above
been granted or suspended, the testing
cases the RDW may decide to withdraw
company in the N(ormal) category starts
the APK certificate immediately whenever
with a fixed initial value. A positive
a certificate holder:
random reinspection results in a bonus
point deduction. Once a specific (low)
- issues test reports for unsafe vehicles
score has been reached, a change-over to
- issues test reports for vehicles of a
the C(ompensation) category is possible,
category for which the certificate is not
which results in decreased supervision. If,
valid
however, a random reinspection by the
- refuses (unjustified), to inspect a vehicle
RDW points to any anomalies such as
offered for testing
technical defects, penalty points are
- refuses to cooperate on a random
awarded to the APK company. The rate of
reinspection
penalty points rises in proportion to the
- fails to comply with his financial
gravity of the defect. The rate of penalty
commitments towards the RDW
points is decisive for the change-over to
- refuses to issue a test report for a vehicle
the P(enalty) category, which results in
that complies with the requirements.
tightened supervision. In this case the risk

January 2005 page 4

 PERIODIC TECHNICAL INSPECTION ON ROADWORTHINESS

Details on the Dutch APK

(Algemene Periodieke Keuring = Periodic Technical Inspection)
RDW Vehicle Approval and Information

APK since 1981 information for consumers

- personal implementation of APK
exclusively by certified inspectors
Assessment - adoption of sanctioning system for
inspectors
Although the Dutch APK system
- listing, on test report, of defects that are
functions as expected, a comprehensive
expected to crop up within a short time
assessment was made in the context of
- adoption of stricter environmental control
permanent quality monitoring and
standards
improvement. This has resulted, in the year
- comprehensive information for certificate
2000, in the adoption of the following
holders and inspectors, using periodicals
measures towards intensification of
and films
implementation and supervision, and
- reduction in permissible defect rate
optimization of customer service:
(tightening of cusum system).
- random inspection of rejected vehicles as
well
- heavier sanctions against unjustified
The effect of the measures shall be
approval of vehicles
evaluated and, if necessary, shall lead to
- check during random inspection to
additional measures in order to further
determine if replacement of components
improve quality monitoring and assurance.
was justified
- optimization of appeal procedure

January 2005 page 5

 PERIODIC TECHNICAL INSPECTION ON ROADWORTHINESS
Details on the Dutch APK
(Algemene Periodieke Keuring = Periodic Technical Inspection)
RDW Vehicle Approval and Information
Facts and figures
RDW, Vehicle Approval and
Information
The RDW monitors the safety and
environment matters related to the Dutch
vehicle fleet. This implies such activities as
checking whether new types of vehicle
meet the requirements of Dutch and
European legislation and regulation.
Throughout the service life of the vehicle
the RDW ensures its permanent
compliance with the standards for safety
and environment.
The RDW not only acts as supervisor but
registers data on vehicles, their
owners/holders and the documents issued.
Another of its duties is to provide
information from the records to authorities
such as police and justice. A major field of
RDW activity is setting up conditions for
prevention and elimination of fraud and
other criminal offences. When the RDW
gained a separate identity in mid-1996, the
name RijksDienst voor het Wegverkeer
(State Department for Road Traffic) was
turned into RDW, Centrum voor
January 2005
voertuigtechniek en informatie (centre for
vehicle technology and information)
recently changed into RDW Vehicle
Approval and Information. The RDW
comes under the province of the Ministry
of Transport and Public Works.
Vehicles due for test
Due for APK one year after date of first
admission:
- motor vehicles having four or more
wheels and having a maximum mass of
over 3500 kg
- trailers having a maximum mass of over
3500 kg
- motor vehicles having four or more
wheels and having a maximum mass of not
more than 3500 kg and which are used as
taxis or ambulances.
Due for APK three years after date of first
admission:
- motor vehicles having a maximum mass
of not more than 3500 kg, except three-
wheeled motor vehicles having a
maximum mass of not more than 400 kg
and all two-wheelers.
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 PERIODIC TECHNICAL INSPECTION ON ROADWORTHINESS

Details on the Dutch APK

(Algemene Periodieke Keuring = Periodic Technical Inspection)
RDW Vehicle Approval and Information

Sanctions were temporary and/or conditional

sanctions.
In 2003 the total of 9.748 APK I plus APK
II companies included 341 sanctions in the
form of withdrawals of the testing Random tests and percentages
company on account of defective tests
and/or non-compliance with the APK I 5,756 2.43 %
certification requirements. Most of them APK II 189,826 3.07 %

Certificate holders and number of inspections

Certificate holders APK II APK I

- P(enalty) category 153 54
- N(ormal) category 1,535 374
- C(ompensation) category 7,166 466
Total 8,854 894

Reported completed rate

- P(enalty) category 111,069 11,008
- N(ormal) category 372,459 67,392
- C(ompensation) category 5,611,113 158,908
Total 6,176,514 237,308

January 2005 page 7

This brochure was published by:

RDW Vehicle Approval and Information

Postal address:

P.O. Box, 2700 AT

Zoetermeer
The Netherlands

Internet: http://www.rdw.nl

January 2005 page 8