TÜV SÜD: Sharing is good – inspection is better

TÜV SÜD: Sharing is good – inspection is better

No need to hunt for parking spaces, the newest model at your beck and call, and still a money-saving option? Car sharing is growing into a major trend. While a few years ago spur-of-the-moment car hire was still the province of a few eco-freaks, more and more people are turning to car sharing as a viable alternative to owning a car – especially in large cities. Almost 200,000 car drivers in Germany now share over 5,000 vehicles. But what about safety aspects when drivers hand over cars without an interim inspection? TÜV SÜD's experts bring reassurance; this need not be a problem if a few points are taken into consideration.

'Stattauto', 'Stadtmobil', 'Cambio', 'teilAuto' - just a few of the names in Germany's car-sharing sector, now numbering more than 100 companies - and rising. Car hire companies and car manufacturers have also picked up on the trend, some even offering their own hire systems. According to the German association Bundesverband Car-Sharing e.V., over 5,000 vehicles are now available at 2,400 hire points in 300 cities and municipalities, making Germany the European leader in car sharing. The younger generation in particular is changing its patterns of behaviour and increasingly abandoning owning in favour of sharing when it comes to personal mobility. The benefits are obvious; a smartphone detects the location of the nearest available car, an electronic code opens the door, the driver is billed monthly - including insurance, road tax and often even fuel. Vehicles receive regular maintenance checks and are in tip-top condition.

Self-protection: Yet Philip Puls of TÜV SÜD warns that for their own safety, drivers should make a careful check when taking over their vehicle: "An inspection is necessary even though the cars are given regular maintenance checks", explains Puls. "Only by spending a few minutes examining the car before driving off can the driver tell whether a previous driver has damaged a wheel, say, by driving over a kerb. Tyre pressure, a visual once-over of tyres and rims and a brief test of headlamps and indicators are the minimum essentials." Examination of air pressure, tyres, fluid levels and lights by the driver is required by law.

Visual inspection: Drivers should pay particular attention to the tyres. They should have a minimum of four millimetres of tread and be free from visible damage - especially on the sidewalls. Rims should be checked too, as collisions with kerbs leave scratches on tyres and rims. In this case, the best course of action is to inform the car-sharing company and ask for a replacement. Don't forget to inspect the inner sidewalls of the tyres too, looking for scratches, dents or other signs of damage.

Checking pressure: If you have even the slightest doubt that the tyre pressure is too low, head straight for the nearest fuelling station and check the pressure. The manufacturer's specifications are given in the car's papers. It is better for the pressure to be too high than too low– 0.2 to 0.3 bar over specifications are fine. Check the spare tyre in the boot too. If its tyre pressure is too low, it will be useless in an emergency. Again, the type-specific requirements are stated in the car manual. Before embarking on long journeys, ensure particularly that the air pressure of the spare tyre is at a sufficient level. It should be higher than that of normal tyres, at an average of 4.2 bar.

Checking levels: Be sure to check the level of cleaning agent in the windscreen washer system and the level of oil in the engine. Although today's cars have long maintenance intervals of over 20,000 kilometres, fast driving can cause levels to drop more rapidly. Forestall this by inspecting oil, air and water before driving off!

Checking lights: Before heading off, check headlights and indicators. All lights must work flawlessly - and checking this is a driver's legal duty. Anyone found driving with non-functioning lights will be fined. Once the external lights have been checked, ensure that inside lights are also in order by switching on the ignition and watching the indicator lamps for ABS, airbags, ESP and so on. Indicator lamps for electronic driver assistance and safety systems should light up and go out again after a few seconds.

A new car for every occasion: A convertible for a drive on a summer's day, an estate for a family excursion, a van for a trip to the furniture store: a great advantage to car sharing is the possibility of selecting the vehicle type that fits the occasion. Drivers about to face a vehicle with which they are unfamiliar should always take the chance of a 'test drive' in familiar territory before they put their plans into action. Braking, steering, cornering, controls - every car is different.

Contact: Frank Volk