The Vehicle Safety Inspection (or Not) Thread

[Industrial Toys]

In recent years the Liberal Government of Ontario hired multitudes of inspectors to bully everyone from manufacturing concerns, auto mechanics (who were caught doing a bit of body work!) to hairdressers, doing color work and not having a color technician license. The fines and added cost of compliance is one thing, but the cost to pay all these additional cival servants is quite another.

You can't get money from the poor or homeless so you take it from the middle class. If they have a job or business, they can always afford a little more taxation.

It's sickening the way some people who don't produce or offer anything of value to society at the expense of everyone else, always attempt to justify their jobs.

 

[Citydude]

Good call, Diggin It. There's no sense getting a thread shut down the week before it turns 6 years old.

To all of the people opposed to state inspections; how about some suggestions for other ways to ensure that people try to keep their vehicles safe?
I asked several times in the other thread if motor vehicle owners in states without inspections are still expected to keep their vehicles safe; yet the sound of crickets is deafening.

Wyoming doesn't have inspections. I cant speak for the people of the state however my opinion of vehicle inspections is "why?". I haven't seen a reasonable argument for inspections. We do have to have vehicle insurance to licence a vehicle every year.

 

[Jstpssng]

Wyoming doesn't have inspections. I cant speak for the people of the state however my opinion of vehicle inspections is "why?". I haven't seen a reasonable argument for inspections. We do have to have vehicle insurance to licence a vehicle every year.

I'll ask yet again; are your vehicles still required to meet basic safety standards? Can they be pulled off the road for serious deficiencies such as poor brakes or seriously bad steering components?
As to your question "why?"

In North Carolina, all vehicles must submit to a yearly safety inspection. During this inspection, an auto mechanic checks the functionality of your car’s safety features including:

● Headlights, tail lights, blinkers and brake lights
● Mirrors
● Foot and emergency brakes
● Tires
● Exhaust system
● Steering wheel
● Windshield wipers
● Horn

The Charlotte Observer has an informative graphic illustrating the inspection process. Depending on the age of the vehicle and the county it is registered, you may also be subject to an emissions inspection. This inspection tests the amount of pollution coming from your vehicle. Vehicles manufactured in 1995 or older are exempt from an emissions inspection. If your car is 35 years or older, you are exempt from safety inspections as well.

Do Yearly Inspections Prevent Accidents?
The state of North Carolina began requiring safety inspections in 1966, when mechanical failures were blamed for many crashes. These days, more crashes occur to due to other negligent driving behaviors.

In a previous link/quote though, it was stated that there is no way of knowing if they do prevent accidents because the actual cause is not tracked.

source: Do Yearly Car Inspections Prevent Accidents?

 

[Citydude]

I'll ask yet again; are your vehicles still required to meet basic safety standards? Can they be pulled off the road for serious deficiencies such as poor brakes or seriously bad steering components?
As to your question "why?"


In a previous link/quote though, it was stated that there is no way of knowing if they do prevent accidents because the actual cause is not tracked.

source: Do Yearly Car Inspections Prevent Accidents?

No inspections. If seen with a taillight out, you will be picked up and cited. No other inspections will take place during the stop. Most of the cops I know are not mechanics, so wouldn't know a defective steering linkage if it hit them.

So, in my mind, yearly inspections would create complacency in the owner. The mind set would be "well, I'll just wait and have the government do my preventive maintenance for me".

 

[Jstpssng]

^^^^
Yet how many people don't really understand that their vehicle needs periodic maintenance including oil changes, let alone recognize when something needs to be fixed? This is what I'm trying to figure out... given the number of vehicles I've seen over the years with serious deficiencies even with annual inspections; how many are running around with bad brakes, faulty ball joints, et.al. if nobody ever even looks at the vehicle.

 

[Diggin It]

^^ Few months back, I noticed mine was trying to turn itself to the right far too often and I was having to fight the wheel. Took it in to get it aligned. They said, no can do, Inner Tie Rod Ends toasted. I said 'wassa Inner Tie Rod End?'. Learning experience .... They wanted $100 per side. I found Moogs at Rock Auto for $35 or so for the pair. Put them in myself for the price of a busted knuckle and a few choice words. When I compared the old to the new, I figured out there weren't supposed to flop around loosely and rattle. Who knew? Took it back to the shop and had the alignment done.

No need to fight the steering wheel now.

 

[Citydude]

^^^^
Yet how many people don't really understand that their vehicle needs periodic maintenance including oil changes, let alone recognize when something needs to be fixed? This is what I'm trying to figure out... given the number of vehicles I've seen over the years with serious deficiencies even with annual inspections; how many are running around with bad brakes, faulty ball joints, et.al. if nobody ever even looks at the vehicle.

Well, you will probably have better luck figuring out when the next asteroid hits the earth......

 

[Industrial Toys]

My 08 GMC 6.6 was pulling on stopping. Went to my Mechanic. Seized front Calipers. Cost almost $600.00 and I was lucky because the calipers were lifetime warranty, so I only paid for labour. Would have been twice that otherwise.

Said they should try and Sticker (safety it) if possible, just to look good if I got stopped, but the parking brake, I never use and had replaced two years ago to get a safety, was NF, so that was the end of the Safety discussion. Everything else would have passed, even my almost bald tires! Guess I am driving a death trap now! lol

 

[Jstpssng]

Well, you will probably have better luck figuring out when the next asteroid hits the earth......

That's exactly my point; you really don't know how many accidents on the road are caused by mechanical problems... I cited several in the other thread alone whivh I am aware of.

 

[oliver1555]

Wyoming doesn't have inspections. I cant speak for the people of the state however my opinion of vehicle inspections is "why?". I haven't seen a reasonable argument for inspections. We do have to have vehicle insurance to licence a vehicle every year.

Wyoming used to have inspections - got rid of them years ago. I don't think it made much difference.