Things to be carried in a car in event of breakdown?
 

Regarding driving in Portugal, I am guessing that there is a legal requirement to carry a warning triangle and high vis jacket/s .

Can anyone confirm this and also is there anything else to be carried, or similar rules one needs to be aware of ?

Re: Things to be carried in a car in event of breakdown?
 

Warning triangle and high viz vest have to be carried and are checked at annual inspection (MOT) I'm not aware of anything else.

Re: Things to be carried in a car in event of breakdown?
 

Thanks. As I imagined then. I think the French require 2 x jackets plus spare specs in glovebox. All worth having I suppose.

What year does car have to be before the first annual inspection do you know ?

Re: Things to be carried in a car in event of breakdown?
 

Four years according to this - Vehicle Roadworthiness in Portugal - Portugal - Angloinfo The good thing here is test centres are just that, they don't sell anything so, unlike "some" UK MOT centres, don't try to con folks into having unnecessary work.

Re: Things to be carried in a car in event of breakdown?
 

Agreed, it's at 4 years and thereafter every 2 years until the vehicle is 8 years old and then it's every year.

Re: Things to be carried in a car in event of breakdown?
 

Spare tire, jack, and wheel wrench are also required I believe.

Further than the legal minimum, you should have a torch and some water (for you or the car, whoever needs it more).

Have your car checked by a mechanic before the IPO; he/she should check all fluid levels, tire pressures (including the spare), and belts.

Most cars today have critical timing belts that should be changed according to a schedule (usually every 50,000 KM).
This is often neglected and if it fails can result in a suddenly ruined engine. If you don't know whether it's been changed and your car has over 50,000 on it, get it changed.

If you require breakdown assistance, you need to tell the operator where you are. They will have an English speaker but it can still be tough to describe your location.
Most all phones have GPS chips in them, if you can figure out how to get the reading. Google maps (or any map program) will tell you.
Whatsapp can send your location to another smart phone but I don't know if that would help.

Re: Things to be carried in a car in event of breakdown?
 

if you are driving through France you will need spare spectacles if you are a glasses or contact lens user.

Re: Things to be carried in a car in event of breakdown?
 

Spare tyre, Jack and Wheel Wrench? I would be surprised if that was a legal requirement as a lot of cars, mine included, are sold without a spare tyre, jack or wheel wrench. You get an electric air compressor and a bottle of liquid tyre repair gel that is injected into the deflated tyre to plug the leak. In Spain, if you wear glasses, you need a spare pair available in the car so I have them here in Portugal just in case.

Re: Things to be carried in a car in event of breakdown?
 

I agree. Unlike triangle and vest, those items have never been checked during annual inspection of our cars.

Re: Things to be carried in a car in event of breakdown?
 

Obviously I can't speak for Portugal but one thing to bear in mind the Tyre Repair Gel has a "use by" date and will fail a UK MOT if out of date. Whether it is part of a Portuguese Inspection I don't know.

Re: Things to be carried in a car in event of breakdown?
 

Tyre repair gel is not part of the uk mot inspection process or the Portuguese ipo

Re: Things to be carried in a car in event of breakdown?
 

There's no requirement to carry or inspect a spare wheel or repair kit but, in the UK, if a spare wheel is carried externally, it's mounting will be checked for safety.,