CA Roadside Smog Check

[TT Oversteer]

The future is here........Big Brother is breathing down our necks! Today in Sacramento I came upon a roadside smog test site. The Bureau of Automotive Repair is working with the CHP to randomly select cars and pull them over for a smog check.

A site is chosen and cones are set up to direct cars that are "randomly" chosen by the CHP officer into the test area. A portable dyno is set up with rollers and smog check equipment.

You can imagine how this scenario struck fear deep into the heart of this automotive enthusiast. Fortunately I was driving the Toyota mini van and not the chipped and bypassed 911. A random "sobriety checkpoint" for your car, if you will!

I did some cursory research and found this on the internet:
It's almost ten years old but describes what I saw perfectly.

http://www.epa.gov/oms/regs/im/roadside.pdf

I have heard some talk of this but today I saw it for the first time. As I understand from quick reading this is a voluntary program and the chosen "victim" can refuse the test. Upon refusal the license number of the concientious objector is stored in a computer for who knows what draconian measure.

As I understand it the intent of this program is to compare test results of a random sample of vehicles against the results of their previous smog test administered by a smog check station. So it appears that this is a test of the smog test program rather than a test of your individual vehicle per se.

The only question is whether (or when) a penalty will be issued to the driver for a failed random smog. With CA being in the crapper financially it won't be long before someone sees the $$$.

[KNS]

Wonderful....

I hope this doesn't spread to other states, I thought I left that bull**** behind when I left California.

[jjrowe]

Doesn't surprise me. You are right, the state needs the money so its going to find ways to get it. I guarantee there will be a hefty penalty if you fail one, and f you refuse you will probably be put on a list to smog every year or something. On the flip side, there are a few polluters I would love to see get pulled over, people are obviously cheating when there is constant blue smoke coming out of your tailpipe and you have current registration.

The best way to protect yourself is to not break the law .

[McLovin]

I wonder what happens if they pull over a pre '76 car?

Pre 76 isn't required to be smog tested, but it is still required to have all of its smog equipment on it.

[Gunter]

Originally Posted by jjrowe

Doesn't surprise me. You are right, the state needs the money so its going to find ways to get it. I guarantee there will be a hefty penalty if you fail one, and f you refuse you will probably be put on a list to smog every year or something. On the flip side, there are a few polluters I would love to see get pulled over, people are obviously cheating when there is constant blue smoke coming out of your tailpipe and you have current registration.

The best way to protect yourself is to not break the law .

+1

There are some cars that should be just pulled off the road and recycled.

Love to see more of these rolling test stations.

How anyone can breathe in SoCal without a respirator is beyond me.

[vash]

gunter,all true points...but i bet your lecture sounds way better up there in the north away from california. you dont need a roadside smog test to pick out the real pieces of roadkrap. those are obvious.

my car is legal, but as the restrictions tighten, there will be a time in which it will not pass and need to be crushed. as it stands now, i take it to a mechanic for some fiddling to make sure it does pass. extra insurance. a random roadside test would make that all but impossible.

[jimbauman]

Originally Posted by McLovin

I wonder what happens if they pull over a pre '76 car?

Pre 76 isn't required to be smog tested, but it is still required to have all of its smog equipment on it.

Yikes. There's more than one pre '76 car around here running 600+ HP custom built twin turbo engines!

JB

[Wyvern]

Wow

I get it and actually partially understand the motivation
remove gross poluters and / or make som $ ... but it is scary

check out this article I found >>>
ROADSIDE EMISSIONS & REMOTE SMOG TEST CHECKPOINTS


Remote smog sensors are appearing along California roadsides to measure emissions from cars as they drive by. The entire process takes about three seconds. Roadside smog test and emission test checkpoints are appearing all over the State of California.

(1) An infrared beam shot across the highway picks up the contents of a car's exhaust. A calibrator and computer on the other side of the road screen and measure the emissions.
(2) At the same time, a camera snaps a picture of the vehicle's license plate. The state uses that information to find and notify the vehicle's owner if emissions are too high.
(3) Vehicle owners are mailed a letter asking them to participate in a voluntary vehicle repair program.



The Remote and roadside smog check sensing program aims to gather remote and roadside test records of 1 million individual vehicles, about 10 percent of all vehicles in the region. Cars, trucks, SUV, vans, and RVs which fail the remote or roadside smog check will be required to repair their vehicles. Vehicles may be eligible for Consumer Assistance Program.

Remote roadside smog testing equipment will be located for a few days at a time at more than 100 sites across four counties, most likely on freeway on-ramps. Some locations may alter or slow traffic flow as checkpoint personnal will direct only certain polluting vehicles to the roadside smog check area.

Remote and roadside smog testing locations will not be publicized and will be rotated on an unannounced basis to ensure a representative sampling of the region’s vehicles.

[jjrowe]

my car is legal, but as the restrictions tighten, there will be a time in which it will not pass and need to be crushed. as it stands now, i take it to a mechanic for some fiddling to make sure it does pass. extra insurance. a random roadside test would make that all but impossible.

At least in california, restrictions do not tighten (not yet anyway). You just have to meet the standards for whatever year your car was made. I do not see any scenario where a classic porsche will be crushed. If you do not pass emissions then usually you have a serious problem because the standards were pretty low 30 years ago. Not sure what your mechanic fiddles with but I doubt its necessary. Also, if you are missing a smog part and that part cannot be sourced you can get a permanent waiver.

[Brillo]

They have been having these check points for several years in the San Gabriel Valley (just east of downtown L.A.).

Originally Posted by TT Oversteer

The future is here........Big Brother is breathing down our necks! Today in Sacramento I came upon a roadside smog test site. The Bureau of Automotive Repair is working with the CHP to randomly select cars and pull them over for a smog check.

A site is chosen and cones are set up to direct cars that are "randomly" chosen by the CHP officer into the test area. A portable dyno is set up with rollers and smog check equipment.

You can imagine how this scenario struck fear deep into the heart of this automotive enthusiast. Fortunately I was driving the Toyota mini van and not the chipped and bypassed 911. A random "sobriety checkpoint" for your car, if you will!

I did some cursory research and found this on the internet:
It's almost ten years old but describes what I saw perfectly.

http://www.epa.gov/oms/regs/im/roadside.pdf

I have heard some talk of this but today I saw it for the first time. As I understand from quick reading this is a voluntary program and the chosen "victim" can refuse the test. Upon refusal the license number of the concientious objector is stored in a computer for who knows what draconian measure.

As I understand it the intent of this program is to compare test results of a random sample of vehicles against the results of their previous smog test administered by a smog check station. So it appears that this is a test of the smog test program rather than a test of your individual vehicle per se.

The only question is whether (or when) a penalty will be issued to the driver for a failed random smog. With CA being in the crapper financially it won't be long before someone sees the $$$.

[RonDent]

I wonder just how random the inspection is. If there is a possible fine involved, there is a better chance they're stopping older cars.

Mine passes without any trouble, so I'm not worried......yet.

[Noah930]

If you guys really hate this enough, just get the ACLU to fight this. Tell 'em you feel illegally profiled based upon race/immigration status. That'll get this shut down.

[Wyvern]

Just spoke to a BAR insider. An old friend who had a hand in writing the program.

I was the first person in Contra Costa County to be able to sign Smog Check Certs when the test program first started

In a nut shell am told that the US government wanted "centralized testing" (not private inspection / repair facilities)
Cal pushed fpr private testing .. the deal was that a program had to be put in place to inspect the system.

"TT Oversteer" posted the same link that Iwas given

If you look at page 21 ... answer to fines, etc are answered

www.epa.gov/oms/regs/im/roadside.pdf

[regency]

TT Oversteer, I drove past the same test check point ( or one just like it ) on Hazel, going toward Roseville. It looked like everybody heading South bound was fed into the "test lane".
I've seen these before but have never been through one. The CHP is also checking diesels to see if they're running Ag or Red diesel.

Steve

[mpetry]

God forbid they'd be doing safety checks on big rigs from mexico. This is nothing but a revenue grab. Would be nice to know what the penalty for refusing the test is.

[jurhip]

Infra red emissions testing w/camera has been around for quite some time. Interestingly, it shows that vehicle age is not a very reliable indicator of emissions levels. The study I read concluded that vehicle condition was more a factor, as the worst polluters by overall % from each 5 year segment after 1980 (i think) was about the same - (maybe I shodl have taken an english class, but hopefully that sentence computes for others)

A properly running car really should pass the tests easily. Standards were really low in the 80's. Have you ever studied at the allowable levels? My '87 911 is almost as clean as my '05 Saabaru, just slightly higher CO levels. Allowables are almost twice as high.

Anyway, facts don't matter - its a money grab. Gross polluters will always find a way to bypass the system, just as they do now. There will always be people willing to buy and to fake a passed smog test for a few extra dollars. Its cheaper for than trying to repair that POS 1991Camry. Plus there is no proof of anything. Cars "fail." The owners of these could just say that last time they tested, it passed.

[Moses]

How is it possible that every single one of you has missed the point? The Founding Fathers would be ashamed of you.

This is about illegal search.

[Emission]

In the past 12 months, I have driven my 930 exactly 1,124 miles (yeah, I log it). That is about two hours of driving per month (far too low, when I think about it). I put about 15,000 miles/year on my late-model "clean" cars. My gardener uses a two-stroke blower which pollutes more than my 930.

I'd refuse the inspection. Arnold is so outta here next year.

- Mike

[zippy_gg]

Originally Posted by Emission

I'd refuse the inspection. Arnold is so outta here next year.

- Mike

Mike, what makes you think his successor will be any better? The state is broke yet we keep supporting illegal immigration. Charity starts at home.

[jurhip]

Off-topics - Depending on your city ordinances - leaf blowers are illegal. Doesn't seem to be enforced though.