In the fall of last year, the Ministry of Transport amended the regulations on mandatory car equipment to better reflect modern times. From October 1, 2018, you no longer need to carry a set of spare bulbs. Likewise, a set of fuses disappears from the mandatory equipment. The responsible motorist can, of course, carry at least the basic bulbs and fuses. He just won’t get fined for not having them in the car.
The prescription for the first aid kit has also changed. Newly enough is a first aid kit without a three-pointed scarf, drape or patch with a pillow. And it will no longer need to be changed for expiration. So if you have an older type of medicine chest, it’s okay. Only the equipment of the first-aid kit must be changed. The ministry originally wanted to ‘throw’ the scissors out of the medicine chest, but they remained.
In brief info, the Ministry of Transport explained what is mandatory from 1 October 2018:
The amendment to the Decree on Approval of Technical Capability and Technical Conditions of Operation of Vehicles on Roads (No. 341/2014 Coll.) It also simplifies and specifies the obligation to carry a spare wheel in the car and equipment necessary for its replacement, such as a hand lift.
“Vehicles with spare tires do not need to carry the spare wheel and at the same time indicate a puncture. Vehicles may also have a means for removing the damaged tire instead of a spare. The third exception is vehicles that have an assistance service, which provides replacement or repair of damaged tires continuously throughout the Czech Republic,” said the Ministry of Transport.
Only the reflective vest and the warning triangle remain unchanged. Of course, you still have to carry the medicine chest, only its mandatory composition changes and the conditions for its validity have been modified. The spare wheel or full-fledged wheel (and wheel wrench and jack) must then continue to be carried by all those who do not have a puncture assistance service or have a vehicle that does not have run-flat tires. Likewise, even if you have assistance, of course, you can carry the reserve. Let everybody consider it himself, whether he wants to wait for the tow, or he can change his bike in ten minutes.
A tip at the end: A powerful LED flashlight can fit your car’s equipment. If there is a problem with the car in the middle of the night, a flashlight with higher luminous flux will be useful. The torches are compact, lightweight, and unlike mobile phones, it is easier to put them and point them in the right place while you are replacing a punctured wheel.