Reading your registration, fitness

IF you are pulled over by the police while driving, it is very likely that they will ask to see your documents. These are your driver’s licence and car fitness and registration certificates. In some cases they will also ask to see proof of insurance. Knowing what is on these documents, particularly the fitness and registration certificates, can very well be the difference between you getting a ticket, getting your car taken away, or just getting on with your day.

But with all the numbers and technical terms on the fitness and registration certificates, how do you know when something is amiss? Here are some of the terms that you need to know and their meanings. These are either found on one or both certificates.

CC rating

CC stands for cubic capacity and this relates directly to the type of engine that is in your car. You will see a digit below this rating your engine’s volume in cubic centimetres. The larger the number, the more powerful your car’s engine is likely to be. For example, a 2015 Suzuki Swift’s engine might have a CC rating of 1240, while a BMW X6 might have a CC rating of 2979.

Chassis number

This is your car’s serial number. It can be used to track its history from the point it was manufactured regardless of what changes have been made to the appearance of the car. This series of digits is also inscribed on the body of your car, usually in the engine bay or on the chassis itself.

Engine number

Similar to the chassis number, the engine number is a serial number for your engine, since the engine can be taken out of a car and replaced by a different one. The engine number can be used to find out where and when your engine was made, along with other specifications such as the CC rating.

Laden/unladen weight

Unladen weight is the weight that your car should be when there are no passengers or goods inside it, while laden weight prescribes the maximum weight that your car should legally be when passengers and goods are inside it. While this is usually not an issue for private motor vehicles, laden weight specifications are crucial for larger vehicles such as trailer trucks and contract carriers, as well as public passenger vehicles such as taxis and buses.

Seating

This tells the maximum number of people that the vehicle has been registered to transport at any given time, including the driver. Standard three-seat cars will most likely have a seating capacity of five, while longer or larger vehicles will have a higher capacity.

Odometer reading

The odometer is a device on your car (usually on the dashboard) that tracks the total distance that has been travelled by your car — the mileage. The odometer reading displayed on your certificate of fitness shows what your mileage was at the time the certificate was issued, usually in kilometres or miles. The older your car is or the more it has been driven, the higher the mileage will be. You can also use this number to tell when your car needs servicing.