Texas about to do away with auto inspections

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

rekit

Joined
Jun 30, 2018
Messages
599
Location
TX
www.nbcdfw.com

Effort to Kill State Vehicle Safety Inspections Advances in Texas Senate

The Texas Senate voted Sunday night to advance a bill that would kill vehicle safety inspections. But, an amendment added to the bill would push back the end of inspections by two years, until 2025.
www.nbcdfw.com www.nbcdfw.com

From what I've heard some States w/o inspections do them on the side of the road randomly? And of course you still gotta pay $7.50 fee. Of course......There are so many bad cars on the road that would never pass as it is.
Drivers will think they are better off till they get tickets for lights out. Will cost a lot more than the inspection would have. How is it in your State?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
There have been numerous reports here in Utah from the Utah Highway Patrol stating that they see more cars with bad tires, lights out,etc., since safety inspections have been done away with here about three year or so ago. I see more bald tires on family mini vans here in the winter-and we have had a nasty one this year.
 
We do not have state inspections. Back in my younger days I had a 58 Oldsmobile 88 that had a couple things that wouldn't pass inspection. I knew a guy in a garage that would look the other way and put the inspection sticker on the windshield. The vehicles I own today would pass inspections.
 
After looking on line, apparently it’s a thing here in Arizona but not here in Yuma County. Everything in the Phoenix Valley requires an emissions certificate every year or two. I think they also have safety inspections, but again, not here in Lizard Spit. Yuma county is a border community so it’s best to leave sleeping dogs alone. I mean, I would venture to guess that a good number of folks don’t even have insurance, and some don’t have a D/L. It’s one of the main reasons my insurance rates are so darn high.

To make matters worse, since the economy is trashed, a lot of folks are milking those tires as long as possible, so it is a safety issue. This goat rope was partially caused by the policies of the same government that wants to Inspect your car. Someone mentioned the tail wagging the dog, and I think that’s accurate. 🫤
 
Last edited:
Mississippi got away from them several years ago. It was such a poorly run program it became a joke. I never had a problem with it and feel it did some good.
 
I’d like them to get rid of smog testing here. When I had a 77 Suburban doing an EFI kit install to replace the carburetor would have made it far cleaner. But no then it would have failed smog :( and what if I want to Tesla swap my Yukon? Nope, won’t smog either. Yeah you can make an appointment with the state to try to get an exemption but good luck with that.
 
Before Covid my Texas state inspections were very good. The inspection station I went to closed during Covid because there wasn't enough business to keep it open. The station I go to now is a joke. Very little is done during the state inspection, just enough to get it passed. I hate to see the inspection program stop - something is better than nothing.
 
Back in the day (35 years ago), the Australian Capital Territory had the best system I've ever seen.

Govt owned and run inspection station...they even did a reverse dynamometer brake and brake balance test. They have a 4" high bar around the pit, which I fell foul of a few times with my modded cars. Then they went to no new cars for three years (OK)...then started picking cars out of the queue to just do lights, blinkers and wipers (wash and wax before you wen't and improve your chances markedly)...

Then they dropped them entirely, arguing that people prepped their cars once per year, but if they could be pulled over any time they would maintain them ALL year (they already could)...then it was found that car parks were privately owned by the shopping centre for example, and they couldn't wander through those and identify random vehicles.

Now they have an accident rate that exceeds the other states, porsches with bald tyres, and rustbuckets that have tennis balls flying through holes in the doors (peronally seen one).

My state has certified mechanic inspections annually for cars over 5 years old...not perfect, as relationship often determins how "safe" your car is.
 
Here in Florida, we did away with State “Safety” Inspections back in 1982 (or was it 1972). Best thing Florida ever did. There are no problems with accidents caused by “safety problems “. If you get sropped by an LEO, or even if an LEO stops or parks next to you and sees bad tires, ticket time. If headlight out, or brake light out, ticket time. WE LIKE IT THAT WAY and if you don’t like that, don’t move or visit here.

When I lived in Western New York State, inspections every year. I think that price now is $35 or $40 and they ALWAYS FIND SOMETHING. I used to install a bad windshield wiper for them to ”find” as they have to find something. Another crazy rule is hat inspection had to be done indoors, not outdoors. Inspections just another way to screw the public.

Pennsylvania friends tell me that Pennsylvania no longer fails cars for having rust through holes. They used to fail cars for rust holes there.
 
Here in Illinois, our State Police will be more than glad to give out of state people an inspection, along with a ticket. heh heh.
 
Years ago in TX they had these headlight aim testers mounted on rails. And you always had 1 or 4 that needed tweaking at $1 each. Speaking of tint I saw a cop car that the tint was just black every where but the windshield. Rules for thee not for me.
 
It's a racket in any state where the shops can do the inspections. Too much incentive for them to make up stuff to fail just so they can do the repair. Valve cover oil leak? FAIL. Fire hazard. Seat belt retractor not retracting fast enough. FAIL. Safety hazard. One inch crack in the windshield. FAIL. Visibility hazard. Fog lights not working. FAIL. No idea why when fog lights aren't even mandatory equipment.
 
I'm 100% in favor of keeping the state safety inspections. It keeps some truly crap vehicles off of the road, and they require proof of insurance when the inspection is done so they have insurance for at least 1 month out of the year. We are too close to the border to NOT have inspections. In many counties we need to have the emission check done anyway.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

slo town
Our trip to the 108th running of the Indy 500
2
Replies
30
Views
2K
Carmudgeon
slo town
My experience 30 floors up during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
2
Replies
23
Views
4K
Cheetah-kins
T
Made it to 48 states - stats/writeup (several loop roadtrips)
2
Replies
22
Views
4K
TmanP
K
Oil ring/general internal de carbonization and maintenance strategy Toyota 2a-fze. Advice needed, and plan to keep a log
2
Replies
34
Views
19K
Free Ride
P
2015 Kia Optima LX QT/300 Miles Oil Burned Solved/Fixed
2 3
Replies
44
Views
33K
kschachn
Back
Top