Most states have some sort of vehicle inspection requirement. The idea, of course, is by inspecting and repairing vehicles on a regular basis, unsafe cars and trucks will be kept off the road, and we're all safer for it. Most states' inspection programs were developed with an annual inspection requirement. Many of these programs have been in place for decades, but with state governments facing monumental budget shortfalls some states are taking a second look at inspections to see if there is room to save some money. New Hampshire is the latest in a string of states who are considering a change in their required inspection schedules. Lawmakers there have proposed changing the requirement to a biennial inspection, meaning you would have your car or truck inspected every other year. This would greatly cut down on the amount of paperwork, and ultimately manpower, devoted to vehicle inspections. Many drivers are also in favor of this because, let's face it, getting your car inspected is a hassle. On the other hand, a car or truck could be on the road for as many as two years with a dangerous safety issue.
Do you think a vehicle safety inspection needs to be annual to be effective, or is every other year enough to keep vehicles safe?
many people out there don’t even look at their tyres let alone the entire vehicle.
what about federally mandated emission inspections? if the states don’t have the emission inspections they won’t get federal road money so this part won’t be dropped. having a safety check at the same time requires little time and money for the vehicle owner little time for the garage owner [with a fee for doing it] and if done correctly little cost to the state as there will be only a computer record going to the state and no sticker on windshield etc. Check North Carolina who just a year ago streamlined their inspection/emissions program. saved a bundle and still has a decent inspection program to eliminate owner non attention
mike
Even brand new cars from a dealership require a state inspection in New York. This is all about collecting a hefty fee and balancing the 14 billion dollar state deficit. It has nothing to do with safety. Inspecting old vehicles or those with more than 25,000 miles would be a good compromise.
Joe – I think that’s a good point. I know that in Georgia new cars are exempt, and they annually move the exemption to keep up with the cars’ dates of manufacture. In other words, only when your car is a certain age do you have to get it insepcted. — Matt
I think this is one of those ideas that had good intentions but in practice doesn’t really live up to its potential. In many states that have annual or every other year inspections, they take a quick glance at the car, maybe inspect emissions, and then pass you as long as there is nothing obviously major. I’ve been in two states like this where some of the mechanic shops market quick inspections and simply walk around the car, glance under the hood, and send you on your way as passing. They make money off you and probably get business from the state as an authorized inspection station. You get to register and tag your vehicle even though it may be on track to become a road hazard.
Texas puts a sticker on the windshield. There is a computer link to Austin (the capitol). Costs are covered for both the state and the mechanic by the fees. New car sticker is for two years, after that every year.
If the car owner waits to go to the dealership on the last day of the month the sticker expires, of course there is a hassle and a delay. Drive into an independent shop mid-day (not lunchtime) during the middle 2 1/2 weeks of the expiration month and it takes 10 – 15 minutes.
A basic emissions and safety check is good. The sealed beam headlights were always getting out of adjustment and shining in other drivers’ eyes until the annual checkup, sometimes still do. More rare with the newer better headlight systems. Who checks for leaks in the exhaust system except for the inspection? Who pays attention to the brakes? The car still stops. . . eventually: right? So the tires are a little old? those oval lines/shapes of black rubber and bright steel on the part that touches the road are pretty: right?
Instead of an annual inspection maybe the discussion should be for a six-month checkup requirement? (Even for a formal and believeable periodic inspection system in California?)
Another thing that is needed is a single national mandatory set of driving rules and vehicle standards. What is required in one state is now frequently unlawful in an adjacent state. I do not know if it is still true, but not very many years ago a person driving in Louisianna without a Louisianna issued license was driving without a license. Louisianna did not recognize any other state’s license. Just an example; lots of things like that in America. Uniform standards and requirements are good.
Here in the UK, cars over three years old are tested annually for a modest fee. Most garages will do some sort of deal if you have any repairs done there. Thetests are tightly regulated so it should be fairly constant from one tester to the next. There is pressure from the EU to make these tests bi-annually but personaly, I would prefer they stay as they are as there is a greater likelyhood of major repairs beingneeded and preventative repairs being postponed till it’s too late and the car is dangerous.
With an annual test, future repair requirements should show up before they become a problem as there is a facility for the tester to put advices on the docket.
Test results are stored on a central computer and can be accessed by the owner going back several years so I can see any failures before I bought the car. I no longer have to produce a certificate on request to a policemen as he can also check the central register to see if it’s roadworthy.
All inall, the system appears to work.
With the wisdom of our elected officials,as long as the vehicle passes the emmisions,it is ok to be on the road.The tires might be bald,and the wheels face every direction but foward would be ok,but fail the emmisions,not legal for the road.I agree we need clean air,and the environment is very important,but what about mine and your safety when cars are mechanically unsafe,that puts all of our lives in jeopardy,but here at least in Illinois,safety is not a factor,only clean air.The federal government does not give states money for safety,only for clean air.That has to change.
There is some good in inspections, need it here in CA. Remember we now live in a third world country with more and more junkers coming up from the south. Plus the millions of junkers here piloted by those who cant even read or write.
I’m tired of being blinded at night by out of alignment headlamps, not to mention the bald tires, metal to metal brakes, no insurance, no license etc. How about the CHP and local police that do nothing pro-active in saving your life on the road just collecting a pay check. I had driven 500 miles not seeing any enforcement, just reckless driving, speeding in and out, and those are the good drivers.
A needed item, but in need of some overhaul – at least in VA.
First – safety inspection is annual, but emissions every 2 years. Registration requires current emissions, but is not connected to the safety inspection at all. Interesting message there.
I’ve been here 12 years and had at least 4 items fail that I was told by other stations shouldn’t have. There’s obviously some discrepancy, and those shops that ‘played’ on me also all asked at check-in for a pre-approved limit of spending for making repairs to bring the vehicle to acceptable standards.
My defense? An old rule my father taught me: never have the mechanic that diagnoses a problem be the one that fixes it. Accordingly – these days I have 2 that I trust and remain happy with both. Does require a little more footwork, of course.
Overall though – I’d rather have it than not. It’s been a long time since I had to smell the oil burning in the exhaust of the car in front of me.
If done right would be good, however a five minute inspection just doesn’t do the job. Must be about the money.
Folks, the only reason for these mandated inspections is revenue generation for the state. Period. As a truck driver, I am required to log a pre and post trip inspection for my vehicle. That vehicle is subject to an inspection at any given time if a duly appointed officer sees fit to do so. It is all done in the name of safety, but if my truck looks ragged, it becomes a notable target for safety compliance inspection. The prime objective? Revenue for the state. Safety is the excuse.
Now that 50’s through 80’s vintage cars are more or less gone, I think annual inspections should be limited to cars with a history of recall.
Most states presently have an annual inspection procedure. In NH we have both safety and emissions annually. All things considered that is probably the best. I would prefer to have the inconvenience once a year knowing that there aren’t any hidden problems that need attention and I would prefer to keep the expenditures spread out and not have a $200 inspection fee and then find out I also need $800, $1000, or maybe even $2000 in repairs to keep the car on the road! On the “up side” a $2000 repair would definitely increase new car sales!
Some stations take this serious but most do not if one place won’t pass you just find another someone will take your money and pass your vehicle there’s always a way around every thing and people and shops have figured this out
In New York State the inspection program is working to ensure that all vehicles are safe, and non polluting. I have been an inspector for about 35 years and many changes have been made. We are now computerized throughout the state, and inspection compliance is compulsory and enforced by not allowing a vehicle with outdated inspection records to be re-registered. The idea is for the inspection station (me) to do a thorough job of making sure the vehicle is safe for the high way. The state mandates a fee of $10.00 for this, which when the entire amount of work necessary to achieve a thorough job is considered we are losing money. The emission fee is $11.00, which takes about 15 minutes of visual confirmation and a simple OBD connection to the NYVIP computer. This is a reasonable fee, but when the state charges a fee of $6.00 per sticker, $.39 cents each for 2 phone calls (one for safety and one for emissions), a dedicated phone line at $56.00 per month, and the semi-annual fees to do business ($200.00 for registered repair shop, and $100.00 for the inspection endorsement) a reasonable person would conclude that the inspection program benefits no-one except the Dept of Motor Vehicles.
safety inspection should have to be done every year before you can get your tags that is a emmissions test brakes checked oil leaks and vehicles burning oil should not be aloud to be driving on the highway till its fixed
I’ve been driving since 1960, drove commercially and in law enforcement, and I assure you that vehicle safety problems are miniscule compared with driver safety problems. Modern vehicles remain far safer than their operators for many years.
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I feel safety inspections should be done every year. Many consumers neglect basic maintenance service like an oil change where a professional auto repair shop would look over the vehicle and suggest safety repairs to be done. Some motorist go to express lube stations for a quick oil change where the vehicle is not completely looked over for safety issues or the lack of the technicians knowledge to what they are looking at.
I agree with some other posts here on this site as to the expense to the inspection station to inspect vehicles. Yes, when you do the math as to the cost of the equipment, maintenance fees, time to properly inspect the vehicle and higher insurance expense, the inspection station does lose money. With this kind of system it causes a small percentage of stations to either over inspect the vehicle by selling unneeded repairs or not to spend the time doing the inspection and just putting a sticker on the car.
Some states have a centralized inspection system which the state or the program manager operates the inspection station to do just the inspection and no repairs. The state operated facility would recommend certified repair shops in the area for repairs. This type of program would be one that I would suggest. Of course there would be a small amount of stations that would have favorites and just issue stickers but not as many with a decentralized program in place.
A decentralized program is when an independent repair shop or a new or used car dealer performs the safety inspection, emission test and needed repairs that are found before the inspection sticker is issued.
Matt, you’re mistaken when you say most states have inspection. Wikipedia says 18 states do- that’s not MOST!
I’ve lived in NY 44 years and own 8 cars. Inspection cost has risen more than tenfold from $2. I do all my own work- engine and tranny rebuilding, etc. Inspection is a big costly PIA. $21 per car is ridiculous. Some of mine are driven less than 100 miles to car shows. Disagree with Denny in NY who says inspection stations LOSE money. True if they put a car on the lift and don’t find anything wrong. Most likely the next car won’t pass and they’ll spring for needed repairs. Wipers, lights, tie-rods, ball joints, PCV valve, tires, you name it. The list of stuff checked in NY is pretty damn long.
Show me data proving inspection states are safer. One comment was true, most accidents are caused by drivers, not cars. Even in states with strong inspection laws, another comment said, you can always find a shop that’ll glance at your car and slap a sticker on it. Especially true if you’re a regular customer and you slip the guy an extra $20 for a case of beer. Dishonest inspectors tell state officials when he checked it, the car passed. People with unsafe cars will find a way to keep them on the road. The rest of us have to waste money on a ridiculous system that shows no evidence of doing any good. Inspection keeps honest people honest and lines the pockets of the dishonest ones. What the heck good is that?
Unless the shop is caught red-handed by undercover state cops (yes, New York does this!) they don’t have to worry about letting a car slip through. Repair shops know how to sniff out the troopers, their methods are well known and the dishonest shops can spot them a mile away with their older cars tricked up with a couple things wrong with them.
It’s all about money rather than safety – just like speeding fines. How many tickets do you think local cops would issue if their town didn’t collect any money?
State inspections are a good idea that cannot be implemented in the way they were intended. In Maine even brand new cars need a state inspection. I’ve had a truck with less than 50,000 miles fail because one of the 2 license plate lights didn’t work, but the same pickup passed inspection despite an active recall on the brakes. Another truck passed with no rear brakes at all, after I fixed the rusty tailgate by removing it (not required in Maine for inspection). I don’t believe state inspections really increase safety all that much. I used to live in Oregon, which had no state inspections, and the police write tickets for vehicles with defects, something that rarely (if ever) happens here in an inspection state.