Vehicle Inspections

[nissangirl74]

Do you think that states should continue with inspections or do you think they should be eliminated? Do you think they lead to safer roads and safer driving conditions? Your thoughts....

With states facing big budget shortfalls, vehicle safety inspections continue to be a target of budget cutters. Last year New Jersey joined 29 other states in eliminating the requirement to have registered vehicles periodically checked for safety equipment like wiper blades, tires and brakes.


http://www.thecarconnection.com/marty-b ... and+Blogs)

[MaximA32]

From my experience, while the vehicle condition is a major factor when it comes to safety while on the road, it is usually a driver error that causes most of the issues. Now, from having been in the automotive industry for the time that I was, most everything can be prevented during a non-certification inspection during regularly scheduled maintenance (ie tire rotations and oil changes) If the shop is good at what they do, they will inspect the condition of the tires and check the brakes while they have them off. They will also set the tire pressure to factory specs and check pretty much everything else. During an oil change, this is even easier to do because the hood is open and it allows for a closer inspection of underhood components such as major fluids (ie oil, coolant, p/s fluid, brake fluid) and the drive belts. Again, this all depends on the shop and the technician that is doing the inspection.

[Jesda]

I lived in Washington for eight years where they only did sniffer tests for emissions but no safety inspections.

Here in Missouri, you have to take your car to an approved shop for the OBD II plug-in emissions test and do whats supposed to be a standardized safety inspection. Unfortunately, running the state inspection through private shops opens the door to abuses. I've taken the same car to four different shops and received drastically differing estimates for required repairs. Some shady mechanics seemed make s*** up as they went along. I intentionally acted like I knew nothing to test their honesty. (Ahem, Midas). The best thing a Missourian can do is print out the PDF that lists inspection-related items and request that the shop specify on its estimate which items are required by the state.

I've written complaints to members of the transportation committee in the state legislature, but haven't received any responses.


After living in both WA and MO, I honestly don't believe there's any loss of safety from not having a visual safety inspection. If a car can't be driven, people are unlikely to drive it, or they won't get far trying.

[alms24sebring]

I agree. This stupid sticker always causes me problems and holds me from driving my car for atleast a month each year.

In MD you only have to safety once and only once as long as you own the car (I think, but pretty sure thats the deal). That doesnt even make sense to me. They will fail you for anything, no matter whats bad or how simple it is, they'll make you replace it for the sticker. So its easy on a brand new cars and after 5 years when stuff needs to be replaced, you dont have to worry about the inspection and its usually looked at by a mechanic during regular maintenence. As posted above, a tech will check just about everything an insepctor would while doing oil changes.

[Marisha]

In MD you only have to safety once and only once as long as you own the car (I think, but pretty sure thats the deal).

Nope, at least not any more. You gotta do the OBD II plugin test once every 2 years and there's no stickers anywhere, just a receipt that shows that you went and they send info to MVA (DMV).

[hannibal]

MD and VA still require a safety inspection when you register a car for the first time (new car, change of ownership, moved from outta state). New cars are usually "inspected" by the dealer at purchase. DC no longer requires these inspections, as of 2008 I think.

I agree with Jesda. Private shops doing inspections leads to them failing cars for ridiculous reasons in hopes of making some money. A shop failed my roommate for a blown taillight bulb (and other stuff), then charged her $12 to replace the taillight.

And what happens when a bulb goes out 2 days after passing an inspection? Does my vehicle instantly cause carnage on the highway? Freakin ripoff I say!

[alms24sebring]

well all the lights have to work, thats a standard for inspection. If it blows as your leaving, thats just chance.

I see your argument though, but they have bills too. Its like mcdonalds 'mcdouble'. Its a double cheeseburger with only one piece of cheese. But if you get the said double cheeseburger, its 35 cents more for 1 pc of cheese! Thats a rip. Also a restock fee of $35 and a $35 charge for not using a credit card is all crap too. You could just take a fail sticker, buy a bulb and replace it yourself for 2.99, and go back for a good sticker at no cost or just $1 for reinspection.

[Dattebayo]

I'd be happy if they just eased up on the MD inspection list. They can fail you for something as stupid as a tear in your strut bellows boots...

[alms24sebring]

^Yeah thats completely stupid, and they'll write it up for a whole new strut and coil setup for each side when all it needs is a simple rubber dust shield.

I hate people that rip people off

[Dattebayo]

Hey, at least VA isn't so bad.

[alms24sebring]

Yeah I was ganna say you should move here for that, but then I thought there are way more worse things that offset that idea, depending on which part of VA

[Dattebayo]

Yeah, like worse police, worse people, worse traffic, etc

[PEZi]

inspections... LOL

[Dattebayo]

The only thing you need to get inspected in CO is your head for living there.

[PEZi]

essentially...

meth anyone?

[numbnuts240]

inspections... LOL

meh, no regular safety inspections (only rebuilt and salvage vehicles, iirc), just emissions. datsun is emissions exempt. idc about inspections.

[AZhitman]

Anyways, I would LOVE it if they did basic inspections here. Tire tread, lug nuts, lights and horn, nothing falling off... That'd be great.

[PEZi]

inspections... LOL

meh, no regular safety inspections (only rebuilt and salvage vehicles, iirc), just emissions. datsun is emissions exempt. idc about inspections.

we don't have ANYTHING here... thus the autocross truck is still street legal... LOL

[numbnuts240]

Anyways, I would LOVE it if they did basic inspections here. Tire tread, lug nuts, lights and horn, nothing falling off... That'd be great.

see, i have no issues with stuff like that. it keeps everyone safe, not just the driver/passengers of each individual vehicle. stuff like that is always operating properly on my vehicles. if a light goes out, i'm changing that s*** as soon as i find out (i admit i don't check all my lights every day, but i can guarantee i realize something is off within the first day or two). i see cars with nothing but their third brake light working and i will bet that the majority of those people are clueless about an issue.

i used to work for u-haul, some moons ago. they get by emissions by having arizona registration for all their vehicles. i'd like to see things of that nature rectified by forcing these companies to comply to state regulations once their vehicles are claiming residence within that particular state.

[Jesda]

I'd rather be left the hell alone.

[Bubba1]

I'd rather be left the hell alone.

I have mixed feelings about it. As someone who maintains their vehicles better than the state minimums, annual inspections are a waste of money to me. But recognizing how downright oblivious so many people are about doing any basic maintenance to their cars at all, except when something breaks/fails, I can see the value of it. My main gripe is the emissions testing in PA. Whether you are required to take it depends on the county you live in and its overall measured pollution levels. If you live in a county where a soot belching coal plant operates, the prevailing winds move the pollution away from your county thus excluding you from taking the sniff test. But If you live in a county downwind, you're hosed. I'd just assume we keep the basic safety tests and eliminate the emissions tests.

[MinisterofDOOM]

It's both ways for me. For me personally, they're an irritation. I take care of my car, so it's a waste of my time and money. My standards are far higher than the state's, and being paid to have some knothead tell me what I already know is hard to swallow.

But MANY, MANY other drivers do not. And if a yearly inspection is the only way Captain Camry is going to get all 3 of his dead tail lamps replaced, I'm all for it.

Of course, if UHP actually enforced ANYTHING other than speed limits, we might not need yearly inspections for that. Hint. Hint.

There's more to it than just lamps, though. If they're not catching a bad lamp, what are the chances of them knowing when their tires or brakes are unsafe? Stupid drivers NEED their hands held. And as much as I hate handholding, I'm not interested in getting in an accident because Captain Camry has no tail lights in the fog.

The sad fact is that even if there were penal fees attached to particularly bad inspection problems (and I mean on top of marked-up replacement bulbs) we're only looking at a once-a-year improvement at best. People might think about it the morning before going in for inspection, but they still won't think of it 6 months later. Because they're idiots.

The REAL answer is enforcement on the roads. HUGE fines for multiple stops for dead lamps, and stop EVERYONE. EVERY TIME. After a first warning, make it hurt. $200 per lamp. No fix-it tickets. Real fines you can't weasel out of. Same for tires, headlights, signals, brakes, everything safety-related that's observable. And when people with poorly maintained cars get in accidents, they should be punished harder there, too.

When I've owned cars that weren't smart enough to tell me when a lamp burned out somewhere, I appreciated being stopped by cops and warned. Because when I get stopped, unlike when Captain Camry gets stopped, that lamp burned out MINUTES ago, not months ago. Now I know for sure. Now I'll fix it for sure.

It's been thickly foggy here for days. I can't count the number of dipsharts I've seen driving in heavy, heavy fog with NO lights on at all. Where the Hell is UHP? FINE THE f***!!!!!!! Hell, for that kind of crap I'm in favor of license revocation after repeat offenses. If you can't figure out when you need your lights, you don't need a drivers' license. BASIC. s***.

We don't need state inspections, we just need basic enforcement of existing laws.

As far as emissions inspections go, the state AND the feds can shove that horsepucky right the hell up their collective tightwad sphincters.

[Jesda]

Most people with bad lights get pulled over anyway. Other safety issues are usually covered by mechanics doing oil changes who will warn their cu$tomer$ loudly about safety-related problems. A few cars may slip through the cracks, but that's not worth harassing decent people.

We can start by eliminating inspections for individually owned cars and trucks and apply them only to commercial and government fleets and vehicles used (and deducted) mostly for commercial activity, all of which accumulate more miles and spend more time on the road than the average vehicle.

The REAL answer is enforcement on the roads. HUGE fines for multiple stops for dead lamps, and stop EVERYONE. EVERY TIME. After a first warning, make it hurt. $200 per lamp. No fix-it tickets. Real fines you can't weasel out of. Same for tires, headlights, signals, brakes, everything safety-related that's observable. And when people with poorly maintained cars get in accidents, they should be punished harder there, too.

When I've owned cars that weren't smart enough to tell me when a lamp burned out somewhere, I appreciated being stopped by cops and warned. Because when I get stopped, unlike when Captain Camry gets stopped, that lamp burned out MINUTES ago, not months ago. Now I know for sure. Now I'll fix it for sure.

It's been thickly foggy here for days. I can't count the number of dipsharts I've seen driving in heavy, heavy fog with NO lights on at all. Where the Hell is UHP? FINE THE f***ers!!!!!!! Hell, for that kind of crap I'm in favor of license revocation after repeat offenses. If you can't figure out when you need your lights, you don't need a drivers' license. BASIC. s***.

We don't need state inspections, we just need basic enforcement of existing laws.

This makes sense to me.

[Dattebayo]

I would also like people to be ticketed and fined more for misaligned headlights. I drive a small car, and because of this I am repeatedly BLINDED by Mexican Joe in his pickup with the left light pointing just a little bit too high, right into my rear view mirror. I would also like for police to find and do the same to drivers who drive with their high-beams on in traffic. If you can't see properly like everyone else, then get the hell off the road.

[Zydeco]

I'll trade you guys your safety inspection for my smog Nazis we have out here in Cali.

[Dattebayo]

I'll trade you guys your safety inspection for my smog Nazis we have out here in Cali.

Unfortunately, those smog laws are necessary.

[Ace2cool]

Tennessee has no safety inspection, no smog, and low traffic fines. It also has one of the most thriving economies out of the United States right now, along with great roads, and good public works.

[AZhitman]

i used to work for u-haul, some moons ago. they get by emissions by having arizona registration for all their vehicles.

U-Haul is based in AZ, I believe. But not all U-Haul vehicles are registered in AZ.

Besides, AZ has the strictest emissions laws in the country.

Blah blah blah, I can hear people screaming already... "NO, you're dumb, what about California?!?!"

In CA you can pay some dips*** at a local garage a wad of cash to pass your illegal engine swap. Not so in AZ. So, yeah - we're the strictest.