ÖAMTC Warns: Two Million Drivers Face Extra Trip for 'Pickerl' Sticker Under Proposed Reform

The Call for a Digital Solution

"Weil er auch in laufende Gutachtensperioden eingreift, bewirkt der Gesetzesvorschlag, dass zwei Millionen Fahrzeughalterinnen und -halter extra eine Begutachtungsstelle aufsuchen müssen, um sich eine Plakette abzuholen und einen neuen Fälligkeitstermin in der zentralen Prüfdatenbank eintragen zu lassen," Wiesinger said.

This additional administrative step would not only be cumbersome for drivers but would also generate costs of around 23 million euros. The core of the club's criticism is that this burden is entirely avoidable.

"Dieser Mehraufwand müsste nicht sein, wenn man mit neuen Intervallen gleichzeitig auch das angekündigte 'digitale Pickerl' einführen würde. Das wäre echte Entlastung – auch wenn die Umsetzungsphase dann etwas länger dauern würde," Wiesinger stated.

Roman Keglovits-Ackerer of the Federal Guild of Vehicle Technicians also spoke in favor of a digital Pickerl. He considers the future first inspection interval after four years to be too long, noting that new-car warranties would have just expired by then.

How the Inspection Intervals Will Change

Under the current 3-2-1 rule, vehicles must be inspected for the first time three years after initial registration, then again after two years, and thereafter annually. The proposed 4-2-2-2-1 rule would delay the first inspection to four years, followed by checks every two years, and annually from the tenth year onward. This aligns with the EU minimum standard.

The reform also changes the timing rules for obtaining the sticker. Currently, a Pickerl can be obtained up to four months after its expiry date; this grace period will be eliminated. In the future, the sticker can be obtained up to four months before the due date.

The ÖAMTC is calling for an awareness campaign by the Ministry of Transport to inform drivers about the upcoming changes.

Alpine Regions Face Higher Safety Risks

Beyond the administrative burden, the club also highlighted regional safety disparities. According to data from the 'Pickerl' database, vehicles in alpine regions show a significantly higher rate of serious defects.

In flatland areas, a serious defect is found in about 25 percent of cars at their five-year inspection. In the large alpine district of Liezen, this figure jumps to around 38 percent. After ten years, the imbalance shifts to 35 percent in flatland areas versus 56 percent in Liezen.

The ÖAMTC attributes this difference to harsher winters and the heavier use of road salt in alpine regions. "Längere Prüfintervalle werden dazu führen, dass in Zukunft solche Schäden später erkannt werden, was wiederum die Reparaturkosten massiv erhöhen kann," Wiesinger warned. He added that a financial relief for vehicle owners in alpine areas is therefore 'vielfach nicht zu erwarten.'

Wiesinger suggested that for all drivers to truly benefit, lawmakers should reconsider a two-year inspection interval starting from a vehicle age of seven years. He also voiced safety concerns, criticizing the lack of reliable Austrian studies on the reform's impact on road safety and demanding that the legislator collect valid data 'um notfalls rasch gegensteuern zu können.'