Texas about to do away with auto inspections

[BMWTurboDzl]

In most states if there is a fatality or expected fatality the police shut traffic down and investigate, and that information goes to the NHTSA. 94 to 96% is there number for driver error, the other little bit is "everything else"

To your point, if you have poor tires, then you should leave more space .

I'm thinking no fatality. Typical rear ending, running off road, etc. LEOs writing up the incident aren't going to go deeper than "driver error." Technically driving on bald tires or worn brakes is driver error.

On am aside Texas was a probably still ia no fault state so perhaps that has something to do with it.

 

[BMWTurboDzl]

You should watch some of the TV shows where they show the LE and insurance investigator doing accident reconstruction. They check the tires, measure the skid marks, talk to witnesses, look at the damage to both cars and the surrounding bushes, trees, buildings, etc, look at video footage if there is any, etc etc. They can even tell if your headlights and taillights were on and working at the time of the accident by the condition of the filament inside the bulb. Accident reconstruction is a well known science and a standard procedure in aircraft, train, space craft, truck and automobile accidents. Today, they can simple pull the car computer and read it and it will tell them the vehicle speed, how hard the accelerator pedal was being pushed, weather the brakes were being applied, steering angle of the steering wheel and even things like how loud the radio was on and if the windows or doors where open. The computer will also tell them what lights were on and if the lights were working or where burnt out. Erratic driving would be easy to detect by how rapidly the driver changed direction and changed their speed and whether they had to slam on brakes when they turned or stopped or if they coasted to a stop.

Around here, if there's a serious accident and if there is a death involved, the police will keep the road closed for 8 to 12 hours after the accident so that they can photograph and record everything and collect all of the evidence, etc.

That's only for very bad accidents which typically include a fatality. Those are comparatively few compared to typical fender benders.

 

[brages]

One thing is, safety inspections are a bargain! I think it's 8 bucks or so in my state. I think they are loss leaders for the shops.

One local shop gives free safety inspections. I don't take my cars there anymore because I'm sure they tore my wiper blades in order to sell blades to me.

The emissions check is a cash cow, though. Used to be a thorough check where you got your tailpipe sniffed. Now it's just an OBD scan and it's about $35.

 

[brianl703]

The emissions check is a cash cow, though. Used to be a thorough check where you got your tailpipe sniffed. Now it's just an OBD scan and it's about $35.

In Virginia the shops that do emissions testing have a recurring maintenance/rental cost for the emissions testing equipment. I do not recall the exact amount but it's over $10k/year.

 

[Kruse]

I lived in Texas from '87 to '97. I'm sure it has changed a lot since then, but at that time, it was a joke.
I remember taking my car in one time and they had a kid in his teens doing the inspections. His inspection involved scraping the old inspection sticker off and installing a new one. That was it. My car was out of there after his five minutes of work.
After '97, I remember reading that the counties with high populations had to have their exhaust sniffed, but the surrounding counties with lower populations didn't. I also remember that the state had set up the areas around El Paso to have their exhaust read, but they were exempt because they argued that all of their air pollution was coming from the country of Mexico.

 

[researcher]

Michigan used to have emissions inspections but they got rid of them. I liked it, helped with my older car to know if the emissions systems were actually doing their job. Michigan argued that the OBD2 systems could catch emission issues, really? Anyone heard of a malfunctioning computer?! It was difficult to find an emissions shop that wouldn't lie about defective components.. You get a test, then they "claim" all these expensive parts need to be replaced for you to pass.. But for that type of shop I'm glad these emission tests are done.

I just liked the ability to know 100% (honest shops) if the emissions was working properly, which really was a cheap way to make sure the engine was tuned well..

 

[TiGeo]

Most emissions testing now is by reading your OBDII readiness monitors vs. the old dyno/sniffer probe.

 

[B6_Dolphin]

No inspections in Washington and they got rid of the emissions testing a while back too.

Driving around the Seattle metro area, I see quite a few cars with no functioning main brake lights and ONLY the 3rd brake light working. Since state safety inspections are getting fewer and fewer across the US, I wish it was a mandatory feature to have "Light Out" warnings on the DIC for all makes, not just the German makes, like both of my Audi vehicles.

 

[chainblu]

Florida did a study like that before they did away with the state inspections in about 1976.

I want to say they went away in '82. I remember buying a used car in '82 and it had an'81 inspection sticker on it. I also remember the FL inspections being fairly thorough. They would check headlight aim and speedometer accuracy among the obvious stuff.

 

[rekit]

Back when I was dealing with the 93 Lexus I was talking to the shop owner, a long time local resident with his own station, and he told me the dyno rollers were very expensive to put in. I can't remember if it was 30k or 300k but it seemed very high. But he said he made it back fairly quickly. Now they just sit there.......

 

[UG_Passat]

In new jersey, inspections for cars and light trucks are every 2 years, and that's for emissions only. It's a plug your car into a code reader only thing. They did away with motorcycle inspections years ago altogether.,,

There used to be safety inspections in NJ, but they got rid of it to save money and process people faster, as the MVC inspection stations did both the safety and emissions inspection with no additional money out of pocket for NJ registered owners

 

[Allaneddie]

SC stopped this decades ago, it was a simple all the lights and signals and brakes work? If so, that was good for a sticker. Now the officer can check these if she/wants. Most of the time they'll stop you for lights not used or working. But that's because they are looking for something else, mostly drugs. Since 50% or more of the cars and trucks her have a 9mm or .38 in the glove box, no big deal.

My family has had a shop for over 60 years in Pennsylvania. Now annual inspections. In the old days: every 6 months. And they alternating looking at brakes: One time left front and right year. That was punched on the window sticker and 6 months later they did the right frong and left rear. Holes in body, leaking exhaust, bad lights, etc all failures. Now certain counties (around Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and maybe other places have to have emission inspection.

 

[repairman54]

Most BITOG'ers have no need for state inspections as they are ''gearheads'' and check/maintain their vehicles. It's the general public who needs ''oversight'' due to lack of knowledge or indifference. I live 200 ft. from a stop sign, when in the front yard I hear at least one car a week with brakes on the metal stopping or the wear indicators squealing when going the other way. How many cars have you been behind with lights out, especially brake lights and only high mount LED one working?
In NJ they went to 2 yr inspections, IMO good for me but now it's twice as many under maintained vehicles on the road with lights out, bald tires, etc. No more skid pad brake test either, I failed once with a Sable that had a frozen rear wheel cylinder unknown to me the maintenance nut.
Today its all about emissions compliance for federal highway dollars.

 

[brianl703]

Most emissions testing now is by reading your OBDII readiness monitors vs. the old dyno/sniffer probe.

The emissions inspections in Northern VA still have the dyno/sniffer probe. They only use it when the computer tells them to, otherwise it's an OBD-II inspection.

 

[Tdog02]

Less taxes not more. I'm ok with no state inspection on vehicles up to 8 years old.

 

[TiGeo]

The emissions inspections in Northern VA still have the dyno/sniffer probe. They only use it when the computer tells them to, otherwise it's an OBD-II inspection.

They do the drive by now don't they?

When I lived there 2000-2005 I had to get my car emissions tested with the sniffer.

 

[chris719]

That's only for very bad accidents which typically include a fatality. Those are comparatively few compared to typical fender benders.

Typically no one looks and so many accidents are blamed on speed, when they could be tires if in the wet.

 

[CanAmAndMore]

To bad they don't better inspect the cop cars here.
Seems like a lot of them officers should be ticketing themselves for lights out.
I check all my lights weekly, pressure gauge my tires monthly, and open the hood to check fluids every gas stop.

 

[brianl703]

They do the drive by now don't they?

They have roadside emissions monitors. If you drive by one and pass, you don't need to take it in for an emissions test, you just have to pay the $30 (they send you a letter explaining that; you can pay online).

If you drive by one and fail, you get another letter. That letter tells you that you have 30 days to take your vehicle to an emissions testing station where they will do a dyno test. I don't know what happens if you don't take it in or you fail--I think they will eventually cancel your registration.

 

[TiGeo]

They have roadside emissions monitors. If you drive by one and pass, you don't need to take it in for an emissions test, you just have to pay the $30 (they send you a letter explaining that; you can pay online).

If you drive by one and fail, you get another letter. That letter tells you that you have 30 days to take your vehicle to an emissions testing station where they will do a dyno test. I don't know what happens if you don't take it in or you fail--I think they will eventually cancel your registration.

I don't get how that drive by thing works.