The Spanish authorities have announced a significant fine imposed on a driver for tampering with the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system. This hefty penalty is expected to discourage others from engaging in similar deceitful practices.
This week, road officials in Tudela apprehended a truck driver traveling from Germany to Madrid in Cintruénigo. According to the officers, the truck’s SCR system had been tampered with, resulting in a fine of €9,000. The reasoning behind this substantial amount is that such alterations to the AdBlue system pose a serious threat to the environment.
De Alemania a Madrid con el sistema #AdBlue manipulado (contaminando). Interceptado por Transportes-Tudela en #Cintruénigo (N113). Multa 9.000€ pic.twitter.com/XCdMFW4tSp
— Policía Foral – Foruzaingoa (@policiaforal_na) May 27, 2018
Regulations in the UK
In contrast, penalties in the UK are not as severe as those in Spain. British authorities allow drivers or transport companies 10 days to rectify the tampering of the AdBlue emulator. If the SCR system is not restored within this timeframe, offenders face a fine of £300 and the vehicle is confiscated. This year, the DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) has announced heightened scrutiny regarding AdBlue tampering.
From August to November last year, DVSA officials examined 3,735 trucks for compliance with AdBlue regulations. Alarmingly, devices that disable the SCR system were discovered in one out of every twelve vehicles inspected.
Notably, manipulation incidents were more commonly found in trucks registered in the UK, with 8.5% of those vehicles inspected showing tampering, compared to 5% of foreign-registered trucks.
Photo: Wikimedia / Beademung CCA-SA 3.0
