Vehicle requirements
As a driver, you are responsible for the technical condition and correct operation of any vehicle you drive on public roads – regardless of whether it is a motor vehicle, moped, or bicycle. The vehicle must meet the applicable permanent requirements (general technical requirements) as well as use requirements.
- Permanent requirements
These are the general technical requirements vehicles must meet before they can be used in the Netherlands. This inspection is carried out by the Road Traffic Service (RDW) and covers, for example, the kind of lighting a vehicle should or should not have, its width and height, and the necessary features.
- Use requirements
These are requirements governing, for example, the transport of passengers and cargo and towing of other vehicles.
Liability permanent requirements and use requirements
Both the owner and driver of a vehicle – if not the same – are responsible for maintaining the vehicle’s compliance with these requirements. If you borrow a car which lacks, for example, a number plate, both you and the owner of the car will be held responsible.
The same applies when lending your vehicle to someone who uses it to transport cargo incorrectly. Even if you are not aware of this, both yourself and the driver are responsible.
You may not drive or have someone drive a vehicle that is:
- manufactured or equipped poorly;
- maintained poorly;
- manufactured or equipped in such a way that the driver does not have sufficient visibility in front or at the sides;
- otherwise non-compliant with applicable vehicle requirements.
Always be sure to whom you are lending your vehicle and clarify their intentions regarding its use.
Leaving a vehicle parked on the road without properly functioning (mandatory) red retro-reflectors at the rear is also forbidden. A vehicle left in this way is not clearly visible in darkness. If another vehicle collides with your stationary vehicle due to your vehicle not being equipped with properly functioning retro-reflectors on the rear, you may be held liable for any damages.
- Retro-reflector
Retro-reflectors reflect light back in the same direction it came from, making the vehicle on which they are mounted more visible to other road users. Their colour (red, amber or white) depends on where they are located on the vehicle.
Retro-reflectors come in various colours and ensure that vehicles are visible when stationary in the dark.
With passenger cars, these retro-reflectors are usually incorporated in the light fixtures (in the same sections as the head and rear lights).