Legal duties: insurance, inspection & phones

Distinguish insurance, roadworthiness inspection and safe participation in traffic.

A registered car generally requires third-party liability insurance. Simply not driving does not end that obligation. This insurance covers liability for harm to others caused by the insured vehicle, subject to the policy and law. Damage to your own car is not automatically included. Check that insurance is active before departure.

APK is a periodic inspection, not a substitute for maintenance or liability insurance. A valid inspection does not permit ignoring a defect that develops later. Check the expiry date with RDW. An expired inspection does not permit ordinary shopping trips; a later appointment provides no general extension.

A specific exception exists for travelling to an APK appointment, including a vehicle with suspended registration: only around the appointment time from your home to the inspection, with insurance that day and the appointment confirmation showing the time. The inspector must register the inspection that day. This does not permit other trips along the way. A suspended vehicle may normally neither be driven nor kept on a public road.

While driving, you may not hold a mobile electronic device used for communication or information. This includes viewing navigation on a phone in your hand. A holder and hands-free operation are permitted, but you must remain attentive to traffic. Set your route before departure or park safely for complex operations.