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In commercial, technical, administrative, record-keeping and forensic practice, unambiguous, unique identification of all objects with which we work is important. Vehicles are identified using a VIN (Vehicle Identification Number), which is a key identifier in everyday practice. This identifier is inserted into information systems in different ways. Manual copying from paper documents to record systems prevails. In practice, however, it turns out that this method has an average error rate of up to 8%. In recent years, the digital VIN, which is physically stored in the vehicle in its electronic control units, has started to be used for vehicle identification. The contribution deals with the description and evaluation of various ways of VIN entries in information systems, especially critical infrastructure, and analyzes their shortcomings and benefits. In the article, a thorough analysis of frequent errors in VIN is carried out and ways to eliminate them are suggested.
Department of Security and Law, AMBIS University, Prague, Czech Republic
Dagmar Kopencova
Department of Security and Law, AMBIS University, Prague, Czech Republic
*Address all correspondence to: roman.rak@ambis.cz
1. Introduction
Data quality is an important attribute of every information system, for which we expect a certain functionality, efficiency, and reliability [1, 2, 3]. Data quality is crucial, especially for so-called key object identifiers (unique primary keys in computer terminology), which uniquely identify a given object [4]. In the area of motor vehicles and information systems, which store vehicle information for various purposes, the object identifier is the VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) [5, 6, 7, 8] (Figure 1).
Figure 1.
Example of the location and appearance of a 17-digit VIN in a vehicle. Source: Roman Rak.
The quality and error-free entry of the VIN in information systems determines whether a vehicle, searched or examined for various reasons, will be found in the computer database at all [9, 10]. Today, the effectiveness of the police and other state security forces (including the fight against organized crime or terrorism) [11], the effectiveness of rescue services in the event of a vehicle accident (pan-European eCALL project [12], the control activities of state administration bodies, post-sales (service) and other services of the automotive industry, the services of insurance companies, leasing companies, and other various third parties in the commercial and noncommercial sector depend on the VIN quality.
The paper deals with the analysis of data quality in government information systems. However, this quality does not match the modern data collection, acquisition, and control technologies that these technologies offer today. There are numerous errors in the primary VIN identifier in the information systems because this identifier is still manually transferred from vehicle documents (where there may be errors, forged or altered) to both the state and private information systems without acknowledging that there may be a big number of errors [13, 14]. In specific cases, these errors can lead to fatal consequences—failure to find a stolen or safety defective vehicle, failure to provide the necessary information for the activities of the emergency services, i.e. in extreme cases, endangering the health and life of persons involved in a serious traffic accident [15, 16], frauds in car purchases, damage settlement, civil disputes, etc. [17].
The globally unique VIN identifier (Vehicle Identification Number) is defined worldwide using internationally valid ISO 3779:1983 standards (since 1986) – Road vehicles -- Vehicle identification number (VIN) -- Content and structure; ISO 3780:1983 – Road vehicles -- World manufacturer identifier (WMI) code, and ISO 4030:19831983 – Road vehicles -- Vehicle identification number (VIN) -- Location and attachment. The mentioned standards specify and implement the unambiguous vehicle identification worldwide.
A VIN is a string of alphanumeric characters of the precise length of 17 characters. To avoid visual similarity and inaccuracies, the O, Q , and I characters are prohibited. The VIN has three basic components (see Figures 2 and 3):
WMI—World Manufacturer Identifier. Three-character sequences identify the vehicle manufacturer (factory make). This part is internationally standardized.
VDS—Vehicle Description Section. The section specifies the technical and other characteristics of the vehicle and their structure, and coding depends on the vehicle manufacturer. The ninth position of the VIN (i.e. the sixth position of the VDS) can be used for so-called check digit mechanism. If the check digit mechanism is used, a globally defined standard is used. This mechanism is mandatory in the USA, but not in other countries. Again, it depends on the voluntariness and the will of the manufacturer whether or not to use the mechanism. The check digit then determines whether there was an error in the VIN entry (copy). The check digit mechanism is very important to ensure data quality in any information system.
VIS—Vehicle Identifier Section. This section always contains the vehicle sequence and serial number. At the manufacturer’s discretion, the year of manufacture, or so-called model year and factory, or other information (especially for vehicles produced in small batches) may be included there.
Figure 2.
Example of the diversity of VIN identifier structures used by different vehicle manufacturers. Some German or Italian manufacturers include meaningless strings like ZZZ, XX, or 000 in the VIN structure. Source: Roman Rak.
Figure 3.
Example of VIN decoding of a BMW vehicle using the VINexpert application. In the left column, there is a list of allowable values for every VIN position for specific logical sections of the identifier (family of the vehicle, position of steering wheel, etc.). Source: Roman Rak.
A data sample of 4,059,009 records from the Vehicle Inspection Register managed by the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic was used for the VIN quality analysis. The data sample is valid as of 31 December 2018.
The VIN distressed vehicle in a fraction of a second, without having to link to the various national registers of every EU member state.
The VINdecoder application is based on special algorithms and knowledge database. This database contains VIN structures and related vehicle information. The database holds all the VIN information on a global scale, defined by vehicle manufacturers since 1986, when the VIN was defined as a worldwide unique identifier and made mandatory in automotive practice. The knowledge database contains approximately 8,900 basic type models for decoding the VIN structure of vehicles operating in the European Union. The knowledge database thus analytically covers 99.8 % of registered vehicles (including motorcycles, trucks, buses, tractors, semi-trailers, trailers, work machines, etc.).
Quality of this sample was checked using the special VINdecoder application (product name VINexpert). This application was originally designed and is still used in the Czech and Slovak Republics to decode the basic information contained in the VIN of a specific vehicle for the needs of the integrated rescue system within the framework of the pan-European eCALL project in cases where a vehicle has crashed and sent a distress signal [18], containing, among other things, its VIN identifier [19, 20].
The VIN of the crashed vehicle is transmitted from the vehicle using the network of mobile telephone operators and subsequently decoded. This provides the emergency services with basic information about.
2.1 Factors affecting the quality of VINs in information systems
There are two main factors, direct (objective) and indirect (subjective), that determine how well a VIN is entered into a computer application:
Technology of entering the VIN in the information system
Control mechanisms for verifying the VIN reality and correctness
2.2 Technology of entering the VIN in the information system
This is a way to technically enter the VIN into a computer application and its database. Historically, the methods of entry and the possibilities of its execution have changed, depending on the evolution of technology, computer technology, and peripherals [21]. There are the following three basic options for entering VINs into records dealing with motor vehicles:
Various technological principles for reading the VIN from a vehicle or documents and then entering it into an information system that processes vehicle data. Source: Roman Rak.
The entry technology is considered to be a direct, objective factor affecting the quality of VINs in information systems. The VIN is always entered into computer applications using a certain technology, which can include a simple manual copy from the document submitted with the vehicle [22].
2.2.1 Manual entry
The VIN is entered by the user using a keyboard from its paper template, from the vehicle registration document, COC2 sheet, etc. Manual entry is still the most common way of capturing data in vehicle registration information systems. This method features the lowest quality of data captured, i.e. VIN error rate. Incorrect, unrealistic VIN values may be shown in the documents. During the copying process, the user may make unknown, unintentional errors (misreading the VIN entry from the document, typing it incorrectly, swapping adjacent VIN characters due to finger motor skills on the keyboard, etc.). Deliberate errors in the VIN entry in order to change the identity of the vehicle, so that it cannot be checked against, for example, police tracking systems containing stolen vehicles, are quite common as well.
2.3 Opto-electronic entry
An opto-electronic interface (peripheral) is connected to a computer application working with vehicle registration, which ultimately makes an electronic entry of the VIN without the need to use a keyboard. The interface can be a digital camera with special software that converts the visual (image) form of the VIN into an electronic, text form; a 2D or 3D code scanner or an OCR reader to extract the text content from the vehicle document. The camera or scanners can be used to capture the VIN from the homologation or data plates of the vehicle, from the VIN located under the windscreen or from the VIN physically stamped into the vehicle body.
This procedure of VIN acquisition guarantees a high-quality VIN. Unintentional errors in the VIN due to human fatigue, inattention, and inability to read or write correctly are excluded in this case. However, deliberate errors cannot be completely excluded, where a person deliberately makes a VIN using opto-electronic peripherals from another document, vehicle, etc. In order to exclude this type of error, a series of additional photographs are taken of the overall object from which the details were taken.
2.3.1 Digital entry from the vehicle control units
The VIN is transferred from the vehicle control unit, using a standardized OBD II interface, directly to the vehicle registration application, completely automatically, excluding any human factor. The human role is only to connect the connector to the vehicle interface at a standardized location in the driver’s workstation area [23]. The data transfer is usually implemented wirelessly [24, 25].
This procedure eliminates both intentional and unintentional human errors. There are currently on average over 80 electronic control units (ECUs) in a modern vehicle (Electronic Control Unit). Many of these contain a digital VIN or other identifier [26, 27]. In addition, differences in VIN values may reveal unauthorized fitting (replacement) of major vehicle components [28], which may even come from illegal activities—stolen or scrapped vehicles, etc. [29, 30].
2.4 Control mechanisms for verifying the VIN reality and correctness
The basic task when entering a VIN into a computer application is to ensure it features no errors, i.e. its necessary data quality. This is due to the fact that the VIN is the basic identifier of the vehicle and also the linking, primary key among various databases.
Verification mechanisms for checking the reality and correctness (error-free) may or may not be used in practice. It is up to the responsibility and knowledge of the owner of the vehicle registration system whether the checking mechanisms are implemented and whether they insist on their application in daily practice without any exceptions. We are talking about an indirect, subjective factor influencing the final quality of VINs in information systems.
The most important vehicle register, which also serves as a reference for other information systems and related processes, is the national vehicle register. This register exists in every country and is usually under the responsibility of the Ministry of Transport (or other similar institution), exceptionally under the Ministry of the Interior. As this is the national reference register from which information on the vehicle (its owners, operators, technical condition, etc.) is taken, the quality of the VIN must be absolutely perfect.
Before its actual entry, the VIN can be entered into the registry database, and a number of logical checks can be carried out automatically to confirm that the registered vehicle is in order – not stolen, not searched for, etc.
In the EU countries, when entering a VIN in the national vehicle register, information is checked in particular in:
The national police records of stolen vehicles (see Figure 5), [1];
International police Schengen vehicle registration [2];
International police records of stolen vehicles of the EU member states [3];
National vehicle registers of the EU member states using the EUCARIS interface [4].
Figure 5.
Basic principle of reading the VIN from the vehicle and subsequent control mechanisms for verifying the reality and correctness (error-free) of the VIN in various information systems (VINref1 – VINref4). Source: Roman Rak.
Searching for a vehicle via its VIN in police records has one basic specificity that we must always keep in mind: the fact that we cannot find the vehicle we are looking for in police records (national and international) on the basis of its VIN does not mean that the vehicle is OK! We must take these facts into account:
The vehicle owner (who is on holiday by air, for example) has not yet discovered that his vehicle has been stolen and, therefore, could not report the loss to the police. The vehicle might not have entered the police’s search systems.
The perpetrator, a well-organized gang, transported the stolen vehicle from one country to another and registered it abroad within a very short time (hours). Organized gangs are quicker than police processes, so the transfer of information about a stolen vehicle among any national and international search records will not take place in time.
The perpetrator deliberately changes the vehicle identity (its VIN), or the user sending the VIN for checking in police (and other IS) makes an error in the description, artificially, inadvertently creates a VIN of another vehicle, so that he changes the vehicle identity and in response receives information about a completely different vehicle.
The vehicle owner is part of an organized criminal group. The owner sells his vehicle abroad himself or through intermediaries, where he waits for the new owner to register it in a national vehicle register. The reference checking mechanisms in the police information systems do not work, because the vehicle is not yet reported as stolen. It is only after the vehicle has been successfully registered abroad that the perpetrator reports the vehicle as stolen in their home country and fraudulently obtains the insurance amount from the insurance company.
In all of the aforementioned cases, a query to police information systems results in the erroneous information that the vehicle is not searched for and has not been stolen.
2.5 The issue of the complexity of interconnected information systems
Today’s era is characterized by a very dynamic exchange of data/information that is essential for correct and timely decision-making. Vehicle data is stored in various information systems so that it is necessary to link diverse information systems to obtain a comprehensive picture of the overall situation (Figures 6 and 7). In the case of vehicles, the linking key is the VIN. The VIN is globally unique and is physically located on the vehicle at several standardized locations so that it is always possible to link the physical identity of the vehicle to its identity in the information systems. The quality of the VIN entry in each information system separately then determines the searchability of all the interlinked information systems.
Figure 6.
The possibilities of linking vehicle data between different information systems, both nationally and internationally, can be seen as complex networks of different links, the basis of which is an error-free VIN. Any error (intentional or unintentional) means a failure in the efficiency and comprehensiveness of the vehicle information provided.
Source: Roman Rak.
Figure 7.
Example of display of errors found in a vehicle identifier. Source: Roman Rak.
2.6 What is the quality (Error Rate) of the VIN in the information systems?
This was a fundamental question that was one of the main objectives of the research conducted. The research was carried out on a data sample of 4 million vehicles from the Vehicle Inspection Register managed by the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic. This system is characterized by the fact that no checks are carried out when a vehicle roadworthiness test is entered. The VIN is copied manually from the vehicle document presented for technical inspection, without any check in the information system against any previous inspections of the same vehicle, without any technical means of obtaining the VIN from the vehicle or its documents. Nor is there any check of the existence of the vehicle being checked against the national vehicle register. There is also no check on the formal, logical structure of the VIN (length of the VIN string and prohibited characters) and no calculation of the check digit either.
Using the VINdecoder application (VINexpert), every record of the 4 million record sample set was batch analyzed. Each VIN of all the vehicles in the Czech Vehicle Inspection Register was examined and evaluated for its decodability and checked for correctness. If any decoding was incorrect, the causes were sought. The final report featured the statuses for every record listed in Table 1.
Status number (StN)
Status description
Status remarks
1
VIN decoded OK; VIN is used in the vehicle manufacturer’s structure after 1986
2
VIN decoded OK; VIN is used in the vehicle manufacturer’s structure before 1986
Especially the German vehicle manufacturers (Audi, BMW, etc.)
3
Error in the VIN structure, VIN not decoded
The analyzed VIN does not correspond to the common standards and values used in practice.
4
VIN decoded, but the calculation of the check digit is incorrect
The user entering the VIN into the computer database made an error, confusing one or more characters with incorrect characters.
5
Unknown WMI
The user made an error in the first three characters of the VIN and created a nonexistent, unapproved combination for WMI
6
Correct VIN length (VIN string1 contains exactly 17 characters). There are forbidden characters in the VIN.
Forbidden characters: O, Q , I. The user has confused the 0-O, J-I, and 0-Q characters, etc.
7
Incorrect VIN length. However, there are no forbidden characters in the VIN.
The length of the VIN string is less than or greater than 17 characters.
8
Incorrect VIN length. The VIN contains prohibited characters as well.
The length of the VIN string is less than or greater than 17 characters.
Table 1.
Summary of basic VIN statuses identified during the correctness analysis.
We live in the age of modern information technology. Therefore, it should be fully assumed that we will work with accurate, correct, up-to-date data, which is stored in information systems for various purposes—production, administrative, control, public transparency and efficiency, health and property protection, security, etc. It should also be assumed that data processing, including its acquisition (primary entry) into information systems in the public administration, will be supported by automated processes and modern technological means, which are already in common use in our everyday practice.
However, this is not the case in practice in the performance of state agencies (registers) working mainly with motor vehicles. There are objective and subjective reasons for this. The issue of vehicle registration as such is very specific in that there are a number of diverse manufacturers creating completely new products and global standardization in some areas (also related to registration practice) is not sufficiently flexible and at the same time not consistently observed. On the one hand, there is technological, major globalization in terms of technical or consumer aspects; on the other hand, the relevant legislation or standardization is also intended to be global (or at least pan-European), but its implementation is delayed by many years due to the adoption and implementation of European directives and regulations in national legislation.
In practice, the basic purposes of any systematic creation of various records and registers are often forgotten. In the past, every object entered into information systems was usually physically checked to ensure the quality of the information, especially key identifiers and other important characteristics.
The current registration processes, specifically in the case of motor vehicles, are only a “paper” matter as they are formally separated from each other. Vehicle registration is based only on the documents submitted, and there is a relatively large margin for error or even deliberate manipulation. In other words, one cannot, for example, technologically read the VIN by optically scanning its physical stamping from the vehicle body, read the VIN digitally from the vehicle control units, or scan the barcode. In the registration process, the vehicle is not physically present at the place of registration. This issue can theoretically be solved by carrying out quality technical inspections and vehicle originality checks that physically take place elsewhere and at different times. Unfortunately, even here the potential of opto-electronic or electronic (digital) technologies that are naturally available cannot be effectively used, because there is no standardized support for the uniform use of barcode or other technologies for recording VINs on vehicles, reading digital VINs from vehicles by manufacturers [31]. Not everyone uses barcodes or QR codes. There is no uniform device for reading (extracting) digital VINs from vehicle control units today that is capable of reading these values in general from all models that are at least simultaneously produced. For every manufacturer (manufacturing concern), it is necessary to have its proprietary technology available, which is not possible in independent inspection practice.
The basic research results obtained, presented in Tables 1–3, correspond to the practice of manual data acquisition and, at the same time, the lack of understanding of the seriousness of the vehicle identification issue in the design of the information system. The analysis shows that within the VIN item, 8.79 % percent of records do not correspond to ISO standards imposed on this identifier. In other words, the error rate for the key identifier VIN is almost 9 %; i.e., one in 11 vehicles is problematic in terms of its unambiguous identification.
Status number (StN)
Status description
Decoded
Number of records
%
1
VIN decoded OK; VIN is used in the vehicle manufacturer’s structure after 1986
OK
3,701,777
91.19
2
VIN decoded OK; VIN is used in the vehicle manufacturer’s structure before 1986
OK
731
0.02
3
Error in the VIN structure, VIN not decoded
Err
129,911
3.2
4
VIN decoded, but the calculation of the check digit is incorrect
Err
2,975
0.07
5
Unknown WMI
Err
1,611
0.04
6
Correct VIN length (the VIN chain has exactly 17 characters). There are forbidden characters in the VIN.
Err
1,501
0.04
7
Incorrect VIN length. However, there are no forbidden characters in the VIN.
Err
168,273
4.15
8
Incorrect VIN length. The VIN contains prohibited characters as well.
Err
52,230
1.29
Summary:
4,059,009
100
Table 2.
Overview of error types in the VIN identifier. Decoded – the VIN identifier is error-free (91.21 % overall); Err – 8.79 % of VINs in the database are erroneous. Err – decoding errors.
Source: Authors
Value of the record in the VIN entry
Comment
0/012447V
Completely different values are entered in the VIN entry of the administrative nature and unrelated to the vehicle characteristics
353-016784
GM51B-115745
The serial number of the individual vehicle unit, the user is not familiar with the concept of VIN and enters completely different serial numbers.
4150417
Only the last characters of the VIN, resembling the serial number used before 1986, are copied from the VIN.
03072844
RC422202787
TK9205TTTR2BP31083
One extra “T” character is entered in the VIN entry when typing.
TNK52012024
The user or clerk writes only the first part of the VIN, not the entire 17-character string.
UU2TAQB02768
Table 3.
Example of typical erroneous VIN entries. Users either write completely different information values into the database, unrelated to the VIN, or they copy only the first or last parts of the VIN.
Source: Authors
A closer analysis reveals that 5.48 % (4.15 + 0.04 + 1.29; see Table 3) of all the VINs are incorrect. This is due to the incorrect identifier length (different from the 17 standard characters) and the use of prohibited characters O, Q , and I. These characters must not be used in the VIN structure in order to avoid optical confusion of character pairs such as 0-O, 0-Q , I-J, and I-1, because then the object of interest cannot be found correctly in the search. The analysis also shows (see Table 3) that, in practice, data is entered in the VIN entry, items which have a completely different predictive value and certainly do not belong in the VIN entry. Clerks enter various official numbers and file marks. In numerous cases, this includes shortening (front or back) the VIN, usually to only 6–8 positions, because the official thinks that this sequence (reminiscent of the pre-1986 body serial number entries) is sufficient to identify a vehicle. This issue is trivially solvable at the level of information system design because it is sufficient to check the length of the VIN identifier for 17 positions and for the forbidden characters O, Q , and J. Records that do not meet these criteria must be brought to the attention of the information system operator, and such records must not normally be entered into the computer database. This type of error is of an objective nature (incorrect design of the functionality of the information system) and can be corrected retrospectively at minimal cost so that further errors do not occur.
The analysis also shows that an additional 3.31 % of all the VINs are erroneous, and the errors are due to human factors [32, 33, 34], in particular fatigue, inattention of an unintentional nature and possible fraudulent behavior [35] to change the vehicle identity [36]. A single character of the 17-digit VIN can be mistyped or misspelled, and a new “artificial” or fictitious VIN is created, which either does not formally exist or belongs to a completely different vehicle. These errors can only be eliminated by using the check digit mechanism in the VIN and/or by checking the inserted VIN using so-called VINdecoders which check the VIN structure. As such, the VIN check digit mechanism only works in full if vehicle manufacturers in a given country are legally obliged to have this mechanism built into the vehicles they sell. An example is the USA. In Europe and other continents, there it is then necessary to use suitable VINdecoders that operate in real time.
The correctness and factual correctness of key object identifiers (e.g. motor vehicles) is one of the basic prerequisites for the functionality of any information system [37]. If this unique identifier is not correct (it is incorrect), then it is impossible to find an unambiguous result in any record (computer database) by a simple, single query [38].
Is the 9% error rate in a key (vehicle) register acceptable? From our professional point of view, it is not. We must also be aware that information systems are today interconnected, especially the state ones (e.g. the vehicle register administered by the Ministry of Transport and the register of stolen or interest vehicles maintained by the police). It can be assumed that the error rate in the VIN identifier exists objectively in all the information systems and is approximately the same. Thus, if, for example, two information systems are linked together by a VIN, the probability that the link will not occur is then twice as high, i.e. 18 %. The real world of linking records containing motor vehicles is very complex, as shown in Figure 6. But today, the key national registers of state and public administrations are no longer just a static matter for internal needs to “record something,” but must also serve in an active mode for quick solutions, such as security threats of various natures. An example is the pan-European eCALL project to provide online information about a vehicle in distress (e.g. in case of a crash) from the vehicle register to the Integrated Rescue System forces for conducting rescue operations. The key identifier for the link is the VIN. If there is an error in it, it may mean that rescuers do not get the necessary information about the vehicle, its technical characteristics in time for their work, which may fundamentally affect the technology of intervention and, therefore, in certain cases endanger the health or lives of the accident participants [39, 40]. Similarly, counter-terrorism forces may not obtain information about the vehicle and its owner at critical moments [41, 42].
If we can eliminate trivial errors in the VIN caused by inaccurate entry of its length or the presence of the O, Q , and J forbidden characters in the VIN, the error rate still remains 3–5 %. This is due to human factors (inattention, fatigue, intent – fraud by which the vehicle identity is changed, etc.). Based on our research, the 3–5 % error rate generally applies to all the European countries where additional sophisticated checks on the formal and content accuracy of the VIN by decoding it using “VINdecoder” applications are not in place, and where the calculation using the check digit in the VIN cannot be simply applied. It has been noted that the error rate for private entities (banks, insurance companies, leasing companies, etc.) is significantly greater than in the government IS. In order to eliminate this type of error rate, three basic procedures can be recommended for the acquisition of data (VIN identifiers) into the information systems of the public administration: taking data directly from vehicle manufacturers in electronic form; multiple verification of vehicle identity between different information systems; and systematic use of the VINdecoder that checks the online VIN when it enters the information systems. The error rate of 5% is still high, because it doubles every time two information systems are linked, and this means in practice that one in 10 vehicles is practically, unequivocally unidentifiable! This is unacceptable for critical infrastructure information systems and must be addressed satisfactorily.
The VIN identifier is an important, unique key in all information systems [43]. The quality of the VIN, its flawlessness, decides whether the vehicle will be found during the search or not. Information systems are connected to each other precisely with the help of VIN. Among these information systems, in practice, there are also systems of the so-called critical infrastructure – search and registration systems of the police, security and rescue services, forensic institutions, etc. In other words, the VIN therefore decides whether a stolen vehicle will be found during an attempt to register it, whether fraud of a property nature will be prevented, or whether correct technical or personal data of the owner or operator of the vehicle will be provided in the course of rescue work when solving a traffic accident, etc.
In recent years, the VIN is also stored in the vehicle in its digital form. This allows the VIN to be better protected against its inadvertent or intentional changes. At the same time, the possibilities of eliminating VIN errors in various information systems are significantly improved. The VIN can be obtained using a standard OBD interface and then transferred directly to the relevant registration information system. This prevents errors caused by the human factor. At the same time, the VIN of each type of vehicle has its own internal, fixed logical structure that can be checked. In a similar way, the VIN is digitally stored in all electronic control units of the vehicle. Today’s vehicle has an average of around 80–90 of these units.
It is therefore possible and desirable to automatically check the VIN in all these units, since the VIN must be identical everywhere. Different VIN values from one of the control units means unauthorized intervention in the control unit. This can be a warning signal, a suspicion that the vehicle comes from criminal activity or has been improperly handled outside of an authorized service center.
Our special thanks goes to Ambis University, especially its Department of Science and Research and the university’s management, without whose financial support it would not be possible to publish the research results. Additional thanks goes to those providing general support to other research in the field of Security and Law.
Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.
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Notes
RT – Reading Technology
COC – Certificate of Conformity
Written By
Roman Rak and Dagmar Kopencova
Submitted: 15 June 2022Reviewed: 06 September 2022Published: 02 October 2022
Open access peer-reviewed chapter
