The European Parliament adopted with a clear majority the roadworthiness package, a set of measures to toughen up vehicle checks and to widen their scope. The three directives that constitute the roadworthiness package concern periodic roadworthiness tests, technical roadside inspections for commercial vehicles and vehicle registration documents. The new directives replace existing EU rules setting minimum standards for vehicle checks that date back to 1977, with only minor updates. These new rules aim to avoid more than 36,000 accidents a year linked to technical failure.