Yearly vehicle inspections?

[70ford390]

Texas is considering doing away with vehicle safety inspections, I'm for it, not because it saves me a little money but because it save me time on getting 3 vehicles inspected that I know are road worthy. I know there are many other states that don't have them and do fine, I was wondering what everybody's opinion was on this?

[EeePee]

The first 19 years of my life in Cleveland had those and the cars were generally in better shape than what I find in Columbus, where I've lived for 23 years. Columbus doesn't have the inspections. Down here, people drive some of the most beat up, piece of shit cars that I know wouldn't stand a chance to pass inspection. I bet 1/4 of the cars here wouldn't pass, and maybe even more than that. I'm all for having them maybe even just when you have to renew your license or the tags.

[WHITE-TRASH]

If someone wants to drive a rusted out death trap that's fine with me. I'm not the one that has to deal with the consequences if/when their junk fails and if I am then we'll let the insurance companies fight it out. People should be allowed to thin the herd on their own.

[IVIaarten]

It might if they loose a bumper, that bounces and smashes through your front windshield

I don't mind what people do, as long as they don't put others at risk.

[STANG KILLA SS]

i havent heard of this but it would be great for me and fellow hot rodders
its been a struggle to find hole in the walls to do inspections that will "look the other way" on my cars

[calcagno45]

Tinted windows are the big problems here in LA. The state gets wild hairs randomly and goes bust the shops giving inspections for tinted windows so then they quit giving them for a while. Pretty annoying since the legal limit is 50% and that's just like fishbowl glass. I'm all for doing away with it.

[Peaker]

Here its biannual when your brand new car get over 4 years old, this was meant to improve vehicle safety on the Danish streets.
But at the same time the inspection places got privatized and that have lead to you being able to have the biggest rust bucket pass inspection.
Not sure if that's due to the prevailing incompetence in Danish society or if money are paid under the table,,,,,,,,,, O wait Denmark are one of the least corrupt societies in the world,,,,,,,, yeah right

[OSRC]

$75 a year per car here in PA, including emissions inspection which no modern car/truck fails anyway. On top of a $40-$50 yearly registration. With 5 cars, that adds up! Oh, and that registration goes for trailers, quads, and motorcycles too. Not to mention the highest gas tax in the nation (until CA passes their latest version) and the worst roads, hands down.

I think it's overkill, and less about car safety and more about revenue for the state. I thin bi-annual is fair, but not here in PA.

[mikl]

Originally Posted by WHITE-TRASH

If someone wants to drive a rusted out death trap that's fine with me. I'm not the one that has to deal with the consequences if/when their junk fails and if I am then we'll let the insurance companies fight it out. People should be allowed to thin the herd on their own.

i'm sure it will be fine with you as soon as somebody with that death trap with brakes that don't work or have bald tires or some other major issue t-bones you in an intersection or rear ends you destroying your car because they can't stop.
It's not just somebody hurting themselves with cars that don't function properly, good chances that they will hurt somebody else too. Insurance can replace the car but what happens when somebody is permanently disable in some way- insurance won't help then.

[hpiguy]

The window tint thing got to be a PITA here as well. I can't have dark windows, yet all the cop cars can. Not to mention, there's a guy in town that literally rebuilt the cab of his truck out of wood. I shit you negative. That SOB gets a sticker, but I can't. Haven't seen that truck in a while though, maybe termites ate it. I get what the inspection process was designed to do. But like most govt. ran things, it ends up just being one big giant bloated shitshow.

[WHITE-TRASH]

Originally Posted by IVIaarten

It might if they loose a bumper, that bounces and smashes through your front windshield

I don't mind what people do, as long as they don't put others at risk.

Originally Posted by mikl

i'm sure it will be fine with you as soon as somebody with that death trap with brakes that don't work or have bald tires or some other major issue t-bones you in an intersection or rear ends you destroying your car because they can't stop.
It's not just somebody hurting themselves with cars that don't function properly, good chances that they will hurt somebody else too. Insurance can replace the car but what happens when somebody is permanently disable in some way- insurance won't help then.

There are no inspections in my state other than basic emissions in a couple areas and a light & Vin check if you're putting a vehicle on the road that has been totalled and reassembled. Much to your surprise I'm sure to learn that people aren't being killed by the bus load.

[Highmark]

It's a PITA but it seems like cars are in better shape here than they were back in KY. But that might be for other reasons too.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by OSRC

$75 a year per car here in PA, including emissions inspection which no modern car/truck fails anyway. On top of a $40-$50 yearly registration. With 5 cars, that adds up! Oh, and that registration goes for trailers, quads, and motorcycles too. Not to mention the highest gas tax in the nation (until CA passes their latest version) and the worst roads, hands down.

I think it's overkill, and less about car safety and more about revenue for the state. I thin bi-annual is fair, but not here in PA.

And now that they did away with registration stickers in PA you know all of this is just a money grab.

New cars should not be required to have yearly inspections. I think every 3 to 5 years would be fine.

The problem is you have idiots driving on bald tires and worn out brakes. These two things do pose a danger to every other person on the road.

People like this scare me.

[calcagno45]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

The problem is you have idiots driving on bald tires and worn out brakes. These two things do pose a danger to every other person on the road.

I agree with this 100%, however that's not what our inspections usually entail. Some make you turn on lights, blinkers, sound the horn, turn on wipers, etc. while most just write the sticker and collect the money until they get popped by the state. Mostly its drive in, give your info and $20 for a 2yr sticker, then drive out.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by calcagno45

I agree with this 100%, however that's not what our inspections usually entail. Some make you turn on lights, blinkers, sound the horn, turn on wipers, etc. while most just write the sticker and collect the money until they get popped by the state. Mostly its drive in, give your info and $20 for a 2yr sticker, then drive out.

I'm not sure how other states compare, but PA inspections are pretty thorough. Brakes and tires are checked. Even a chip or crack at the wrong place in a windshield can cause a failure.

[ElChupacabra]

Originally Posted by JatoTheRipper

I'm not sure how other states compare, but PA inspections are pretty thorough. Brakes and tires are checked. Even a chip or crack at the wrong place in a windshield can cause a failure.

Yeah PA inspections suck. It's really a super thorough safety check. Lights, wipers, brakes, tires, structural rust (frame/floorboards), suspension (ball joints / bearings mostly. I got dinged once for too much play in my steering), and emissions (unless your vehicle can tow more than 12,000lbs I think in which it's exempt from being a pollution machine like my 2500HD).

The problem with PA is they take advantage of people who don't know better. You bring in your vehicle and they say something doesn't pass inspection but really it does pass and they just want the work. Things like tires and brakes have specified wear depths that pass. I've had shops tell me I need new tires which is anything under 3/32 when my tires were still at 4 or 5/32 thinking I didn't know that or wouldn't call them on it.

Any yeah, we got rid of registration stickers but the registration fee stayed the same and my county (Montgomery) added a county fee so now my registration is more expensive on all 4 of my cars than it was before the "cost saving decision to get rid of the actual registration sticker" happened.

I wish I lived in a place with no inspections... /rant

[OSRC]

We specifically moved into Berks. The tax difference alone from Montgomery was astounding.

I just got my pop's truck passed last week with no pads on the parking brake. Not as super thorough as you might think.

[ElChupacabra]

Originally Posted by OSRC

We specifically moved into Berks. The tax difference alone from Montgomery was astounding.

I just got my pop's truck passed last week with no pads on the parking brake. Not as super thorough as you might think.

I mean comparatively super thorough to other places. There's definitely variance in what any given shop will pass. I take my 200k+ mile cars to a different inspection place than I take my track car and still a third place for my newer cars.

[Correll]

It's not always roses and sunshine when you live in a place with no inspections. It can be nice for those FEW guys with hot rods or custom trucks that they know are Pretty safe or run correctly.

In my state if they had even small safety inspections to make sure vehicles had functioning lights, tires, and some brakes would be nice. And some type of smoke regulation, its gets old guys. And im not a tree hugger type. But no inspections here, which like I said "can" be nice for a select few...

It just gets old seeing cars with a pressure treated 4x4 lumber front bumper and harbor freight off road lights as headlamps running around. Bashed in fenders, bald tires and blows shit tons of smoke from every signal. And I have watched pieces of shit like this not be able to stop cause their tires are completely bald. Not joking either.

And i'm all for Thinning the Herd, but its not cool to rear end an innocent person because your vehicle is a complete piece of crap and the at fault driver has no insurance usually.

But yeah, no inspections here which is cool!

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by OSRC

We specifically moved into Berks. The tax difference alone from Montgomery was astounding.

I just got my pop's truck passed last week with no pads on the parking brake. Not as super thorough as you might think.

Some shops don't inspect anything. They slap a sticker on it, take the easy money, and move onto the next job. Others, namely dealers, are complete bastards. That's what I won't get my car inspected at a dealership.