Time for mandatory inspections through the US?

[daves87rs]

It's becoming a valid question lately.....

I've seen some crazy things lately. Cars without headlights..at night! Or working tail lights in traffic. Bald tires....heavy smoking cars barely able to make it to the next light. In the last week, I've had two VERY close calls because of this.

I'm growing tired of the excuses...no money, tough economy. Don't have time. Or, they simply don't care. I hope they charge high for it...maybe it will get some of those off the road. I simply cannot believe it has got this bad here!

I would simply like not to die this week, and still be able to insure a car in MI next year....

*(gets off soapbox)* Thanks for listening.....

 

[bvance554]

Funny enough I was talking about this issue with some friends from MIchigan just yesterday. We're in VA and it came up because they got stopped for an expired sticker and they said how they weren't used to getting inspections because they were from MI. I agree... Without it some people would never check their lights or anything else, but lets not make it a federal thing. Handle it at the state level...everyone else does.

 

[tom slick]

Sounds like you need to start with Michigan...

 

[JimPghPA]

^And Ohio.

 

[ms21043]

State of Hawaii has had a mandatory safety check inspection for decades. You have to get it done annualy unless your vehicle is brand new, in that case you get two years.If your car does not pass, you can't register it and you can't park it on public property. The program works as intended, it keeps idiots from putting dangerous cars on the road.

 

[Merkava_4]

I'm all for it as long as they let me fix the car myself.

 

[JimPghPA]

I would add that in winter (winter defined as any time there was any possibility of snow or ice) ANY police officer should be able to stop any vehicle with a bald tire, issue a big fine, and demand that the vehicle be towed to a mechanic or tire shop. And the mechanic or tire shop not be allowed to release the vehicle back to the customer until proper tires were installed.

 

[JimPghPA]

Hear in Pennsylvania, the general thinking is that only a state trooper can yank a vehicle from the road due to it not being safe, and even if a state trooper does see something unsafe they probably would not have it towed.

The majority of the time most drivers are policed by local municipality police and they never seam to even look at anything regarding if a vehicle should be allowed on public roads.

 

[skyship]

Wow! I never knew that there were no compulsory inspections for cars in the US. Every EU country has them, but they vary in how long the period is and newish cars that are probably still under warrenty are exempt.
The UK has annual inspections and Germany has them every two years, although it is best to have an annual inspection system as a lot can go wrong in two years.
The inspection system is also used to confirm that the vehicle is correctly owned and insured, so it also helps reduce the number of unisured vehicles on the road.

 

[earlyre]

some states have 'em some states don't. here in ohio, it's only certain counties (the ones with the most smog issues). and even then i doubt it's anywhere as stringent as an MOT inspection.
IIRC for the most part, they put the sensor in your exhaust, and plug into the on board computer. maybe check the lights, and make sure your tires aren't bald. maybe.
but it mainly seems to be an emissions check.

 

[Silk]

We've had 6 monthly inspections in NZ for over 80 years - now they are thinking of making major changes. 12 monthly, never, only when vehicle sold, by mileage - it's all up for consultation.

It's political, not safety driven.

 

[Shannow]

When I was first driving in Canberra, we had 12 monthly pit inspections, that were completely thorough, brake dynos, headlight aiming testing etc. etc. Sometimes, you actually found that something was faulty that you didn't know, like an R-16 brake proportioning valve, etc.

They had one of the lowest death tolls in the country.

Then they decided 1st year no inspection, 2nd year, no inspection, third year no inspection "as the cars were still under warranty, and thus had no carried failures" (as silk suggests, it was political, they were requiring a new station)...then the three year cars caught up, and the delays at the station started increasing, having been bought off three years.

Then they started "random" "let throughs", they had an agent walk along the queue, and check tyres, lights, blinkers and the presence (not alignment) of lights. Perfect case of profiling in action, as a wash and a wax guaranteed a let through.

When they really had no option but to build a new station, they decided to "research" dropping inspections...the argument that they used was that an annual inspection meant that cars were maintained only once per year, while if at the mercy of cops, they would be looked after all year.

Cops pointed out that they couldn't patrol a carpark, and wiggle ball joints, particularly if private carpark, but they stopped inspections.

Within 5 years, the death toll per capita matched that of the rest of the country, and some of the junk that even my family members were driving, particularly with front end components, really made me scared and sad.

I've seen what happens when you go from a rigourous inspection regime to none, and therefore have a valid argument that inspections improve safety.

 

[eljefino]

Absolutely! States without inspections say well, we'll have our police do roadside checks, and mandate working equipment. I don't want that! Anyone driving a shabby looking car, or someone who's "profiled", would get pulled over and hassled while a bimbo in a 5 year old shiny SUV with bald tires and the ABS light on would get a pass.

With inspection stickers, the cops leave my heaps and myself alone.

I'd rather choose a mechanic of my own choice, sometime in the required month when it's convenient, than get pulled over by the police on their schedule.

Inspections also hold used car dealers to an equipment standard, and you can (usually) go after them in a short time frame after a sale if you get an unsafe lemon. IMO an as-is sale should still be allowed, my state will let a dealer do this as well as a private party, but the dealer will say you have to tow your heap away and can't issue a temp tag on an as-is car. Keeps the dirtiest dealer hi-jinks down.

 

[riff1006]

Years ago when I lived in Nebraska they did away with inspections because they were a license to steal. I'm not sure what they're doing now though. I currently live in Missouri and just had my pickup inspected last week.

 

[bigjl]

So the system in Mainland Europe is a bit stricter than the UK Mot system, no checks on ownership or insurance for an Mot in the UK, you don't even get a certificate anymore just a piece of A4 with the details on it, they say this is due to the database system being the true record not a certificate, there has already been a rise in cars being sold with forged Mot's were the buyer is no knowledgable and doesn't know they need to check the database.

ANPR cameras are good, but sometimes change for the same of change isn't always progress.

 

[mechtech2]

The costs and time would be horrid.
Gov't intervention would be stagnating and intrusive.
Who needs another burden?

 

[demarpaint]

NY while your at it. I was behind a Civic yesterday with blue smoke bellowing from the tail pipe, what a stink! It was a health hazard that should be taken off the road.

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
The costs and time would be horrid.
Gov't intervention would be stagnating and intrusive.
Who needs another burden?


The people who need protecting from the dolts who don't maintain their cars.

My inspection is kncking off early from work (actually, leaving on time for a change), visiting a mechanic of my choice, who checks the safety systems, and stupid mods like 4" body lifts, and for $36 sends a pass/fail to the database...

Way easier than waiting in line at a checkpoint, which they do for trucks, as most of them are registered interstate.

 

[crazyoildude]

here in nj its just emmisions they gave up the safety part a few years backto save money. it believe in safety checks but think of it this way what politician will vote that back in? He will be out if he or she did that and as far as the Police unless its a dangerous situation like the doors blew off and its running on 3 wheels the police are pretty much powerless

 

[Pablo]

Terrible idea. More nannyism.

If you want them in your state then do it. We don't have them here, except smog check in Seattle metro. Sure there are a few crusty bombs on the road, but not that many. If you need the Federal Government to tell you to install a new headlight, then what next?