eliminate vehicle safety inspections?

[nynor]

Safety inspections a thing of the past? | ksl.com

"Utah is the only western state and one of only 17 states nationwide that require vehicle safety inspections, he said."

is that true?

i have to admit, i am a bit conflicted: i keep my vehicles maintained and safe, but i doubt that the majority do, except to pass the inspection.....

[Rikao4]

car makers spent millions getting the bumpers right & safe..
along comes Bubba..
jacks his truck to the moon and slaps a plow on it...
his bumper looks into your rear window now..
he passed inspection..

Rika

[IROC]

You ought to drive around in Alabama or Tennessee for a while. We don't need no steenkin' inspections. Heck, we don't even need license plates. In Alabama, when somebody doesn't have a license plate, they just write "Lost Tag" on a piece of cardboard and attach it where the license plate should go. I've seen it with my own eyes...

I've been driving since 1980 and have never had a vehicle inspected.

[Hugh R]

CA has SMOG every two years, but no safety inspections. Lots of cars with no working brake or tail lights.

[Jim Richards]

Nobody uses their brakes in CA. Just the go pedal.

[widebody911]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

Nobody uses their brakes in CA. Just the go pedal.

And horn

[daepp]

None in CA.

[VINMAN]

Just passed that in NJ last yr. They are only concern with emissions, and losing federal funding.

[masraum]

Hmm, I'm in Texas, we have safety inspections. I used to live in VA and I'm about 99% certain that they had safety inspections. I can't remember if we had them in FL or not. It seems like there was emissions inspections in FL, but I don't remember if they had the safety too.

Frankly, I think that safety and emissions inspections are a good thing.

[fastfredracing]

Every day , I find a faulty ball joint, or tie rod end, or rusty brake line that is ready to let loose. I keep my stuff maintained, but the majority does not. In some ways I think some of the laws are a little bit silly, but in other ways I strongly believe it is a good thing.
The inspection itself is a pia to me. I make $20.00 for each one I do, and they always take me close to an hour by the time I pull the car in, lift it, check the car, log the sticker, and fill out the sticker, affix it to the car, and pull it back out, But I also do pull a ton of work off them as well.

[wdfifteen]

I don't have a problem with safety inspections in the rust belt, where the inspector runs the car up on a lift and looks for rusted brake lines, frames, and brake backing plates (used to be a big problem with GM cars and trucks). Things like lights and wipers can be handled by police on the street. But they would really hurt me. My Speedster hasn't had windshield wipers for 30 years!

[rick-l]

Too much corruption with state mandated/approved inspections.

[porsche4life]

OK has no inspections period....

[boba]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

My Speedster hasn't had windshield wipers for 30 years!

...but with no top you can't even see to the windshield in a heavy rain.

That's why I didn't even put the wiper motors back in my Speedster.

[RWebb]

I think the idea is that a cop can stop you for a burned out tail light, etc. They certainly will if they want to do an illegal "search" for some reason.

Cars and their safety equipment last far longer thee days, but as to why safety inspections were eliminated, I dunno -- the interested could search thru state agency rule-makings (since agencies are required to explain their actions); if it was legislatively done, there is likely a record there too. Not real exciting reading...

Orygun used to have no scheduled inspections, but a bored cop could stop you at anytime and make you go thru a side of the road inspection. It was sometimes abused if a cop took a dislike to the way someone looked or drove, and they got rid of it.

I always thought cars (and roads) in Alabama or Tennessee were far, far above the situation in Louisiana and Mississippi. We always looked up to y'all in terms of infrastructure (tho not in terms of food, fun, music or football).

[Christien]

We're the same as California - no regular safety checks, but emissions every two years on any car 1987 and newer. There's been talk of scrapping the emissions tests, because everyone knows they're a joke - the levels are set really high, and if you fail, you dump a can of seafoam or something in, and you pass. I've only ever seen 2 cars fail - one was a 91 corvette that was a bit of a surprise, the other was something that had multiple exhaust leaks.

But on the other hand, here you only need a safety when you buy the car.

It really should be the other way around, maybe an emissions test here or there, but safety checks every 2 years or so.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by boba

...but with no top you can't even see to the windshield in a heavy rain.

That's why I didn't even put the wiper motors back in my Speedster.

I quit using those pathetic wipers when I discovered RainX. I spent too many hours driving in the rain when about all I could see was rain drenched glass and two black lines creeping back and forth across the windshield.
When I "restored" it I put tape under the wiper holes and Bondoed over them. I figured I'd get around to knocking the Bondo out and installing the wipers if I ever wanted to show it.
It's been 25 years.
Driving a Speedster in the rain is pure hell anyway. If you put the top up it's OK in town but as soon as you get up to speed the rain runs up the windshield, gets caught on the front edge of the top, and drips down on your lap. If you put the top down the rain goes right over you as long as you are going fast, but you get soaked when you slow down.
Don't get me started on the heater.