Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Story

[BruceSH]

Well, I guess if it's being driven the brakes are good enough to stop it, the suspension works well enough, and the steering is tight enough to have gotten it that far. Ball joints can't be that bad if someone has to go physically check them. <--- That's mostly jest, but my personal experience suggests that a lack of inspections are not causing undue harm. There is no rash of junkers causing a bunch of crashes. More people just don't use blinkers than have blown bulbs. Same with headlights, it's very rare to see a headlight out, I may see a few a year. Very rarely see anyone changing a tire on the side of the road. We also don't really have rust issues here.

If I saw a lot of unsafe vehicles on the roads I might tend to feel the way you do. But I don't, so I much prefer it this way. Modern vehicles stay in pretty good shape for quite a long time, and have more safety features and nag lights than they ever have.

Maybe it's different where you live but on the left coast one can drive anywhere, anytime and see many burned out or defective tail lights, turn signals brake lights, wire dangling from trailer tongues, the whole enchilada. Or perhaps just get out more?

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

There are lots more cars out that way so it would make sense that you would see more. I get around quite a bit. I stand by my argument that I would not feel safer with mandatory inspections. I have never been involved in, nor known anyone else, that had a wreck that could have been avoided by an annual inspection.

I don't know how a yearly inspection would make someone plug in their trailer lights though.

 

[ultrarunner]

Car insurance is mandatory in my state, but I can tell you there are a bunch of drivers who don't have it despite all of the warnings issued to them by the state.

I don't so much worry about how people maintain their cars as much as I fear them crossing into my lane because they are on their *&^% phone. Happened yesterday. Again.

CA DMV investigator said to me DMV can only regulate licenses… those that choose to drive no license or registration are outside the system.

Learned a lot at a young age paying out of pocket to get my car repaired on student wages and having only liability insurance on my car when it was hit.

 

[Runner]

Car insurance is mandatory in my state, but I can tell you there are a bunch of drivers who don't have it despite all of the warnings issued to them by the state.

I don't so much worry about how people maintain their cars as much as I fear them crossing into my lane because they are on their *&^% phone. Happened yesterday. Again.

Here's one for the "tell us something we may not know" thread:

Insurance is mandatory in my state too, however, I was once rear-ended by a guy who had no insurance. When the cops got there, I asked what they were going to do about it and they said "nothing, he is a Mennonite and is insured through his church".

I knew that governmental agencies like cities can be self-insured, but never heard of churches providing insurance for their members. Sure enough, the church paid for the damage.

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

Inspections are just money grabs for the state and dealer. Bet the dealers and shops lobby hard to keep them

 

[2manyrocks]

The dealers probably like it because they can tell people who don't know better that they need something repaired and then charge them for it like needing a catalytic converter that they already installed for $1700...........

There's no telling how many people fall for that stuff.

 

[dodge man]

Somehow we have escaped this process in rural Illinois. I keep waiting for that to change.

 

[scootr]

CA is focused on emissions, certification required at 2 yr intervals for every vehicle 5 yrs old unless pre 1975.
I have seen roadside safety inspections, more so in the past than now days, but they inspected large vehicles not 4 wheelers.
Junkers are not popular here, but poor people still drive beaters with the usual bald tires, broken lights and windshields.
There is a percentage who drive stuff that looks like it belongs in Mexico, I guess we know who and why

 

[Runner]

CA is focused on emissions, certification required at 2 yr intervals for every vehicle 5 yrs old unless pre 1975.
I have seen roadside safety inspections, more so in the past than now days, but they inspected large vehicles not 4 wheelers.

How awful..... I don't think I could stand that. Seems like you would be constantly chasing problems trying to keep the emissions measurements in the allowable range.

 

[scootr]

How awful..... I don't think I could stand that. Seems like you would be constantly chasing problems trying to keep the emissions measurements in the allowable range.

Actually it's usually a breeze. 10 minutes to inspect and test, but a $50 cost. Old vehicles may need the occasional EGR valve but everything else I've had never needed repairs. Of course it does prohibit modifications to the omissions systems.
Only fail I ever had was after the DMV required the FORD dealer to reflash my diesel and the I had to perform a set drive routine to reset the computer (?). PIA that was.