Damaged vehicles and repair process

A vehicle that has been involved in an incident and has been reported by the police or the tax authorities (customs office) to the Icelandic Transportation Authority will be labelled as "Damaged Vehicle I" (tjónaökutæki I). That labelling is valid for 20 days and then automatically changes to the labelling "Damaged Vehicle II" (tjónaökutæki II) if no request for a re-evaluation has been made.

Assessment and labelling of a vehicle as "Damaged Vehicle I"

The basis for the police and the tax authorities (customs office) to decide whether a vehicle should be labelled as "Damaged Vehicle I" is based on a few simple points. It does not require special education or experience in the field of automotive to be able to carry out the following assessment:

• Airbags/air bags have been employed: Applies to all airbags/air bags of a vehicle, whether they are in the steering wheel, in the dashboard, on the sides or elsewhere.

• A vehicle is unresponsive due to damage to the wheel or steering system: The wheel or steering system is damaged in a way that renders the vehicle unresponsive. However, a blown tire, if the rim appears intact, does not cause a signal on its own.

• Vehicle has been overturned: Corners and damage are significant in many parts of the bodywork, doors possibly out of order (no longer fit in the doorway), windows are broken or out of place.

• Significant side damage to the vehicle: Obvious damage to the sills (the bit under the doors on each side), often resulting in the doors not working properly or causing deformation on the doorways.