http://www.wral.com/bill-would-scrap-nc-vehicle-safety-inspections/12141342/

Quote :

"AAA Carolinas said annual inspections make North Carolina roads safer. "In states that still have the mandated inspections, as opposed to those that don't, accidents are about 27 percent less," AAA's Jodi Woolard said. Doing away with safety inspections could end up costing drivers more money down the road, Woolard said. "If people are not required to get their vehicles inspected, they're going to let them go," she said. "They're prone to be in more accidents. More accidents equates to higher insurance rates, and that affects everyone who drives.""

All government is bad government right?

2/23/2013 1:55:40 AM

[Edited on February 23, 2013 at 2:04 AM. Reason : .]

2/23/2013 2:03:14 AM

FWIW if the car doesn't pass NC safety inspection checks for the most basic things like functioning lights and signals, tire tread and windshield wipers. If you can't afford to fix things checked by NC inspection, you should not be driving that car. In other states the inspection if much more rigorous, MD stops just short of colonoscopy for the driver, for example.

2/23/2013 11:20:09 AM

In all honesty inspection are not needed annually, especially on new cars. Require a car to pass inspection when it is sold new, then 3-5 years after that. Inspections based on mileage would probably make more sense than that but would be harder to enforce.

2/23/2013 1:38:10 PM

Quote :

""In states that still have the mandated inspections, as opposed to those that don't, accidents are about 27 percent less,""

Quote :

"If you can't afford to fix things checked by NC inspection, you should not be driving that car."

You're right. They should be driving a {more expensive} {less expensive} car.

Because they clearly have money to buy a more expensive car. Considering how they don't have money to fix their current car.

Because they could save money buy buying a less expensive car, which will have less of a chance of passing inspection.

2/23/2013 1:46:47 PM

Quote :

" Considering how they don't have money to fix their current car. "

Yes, that's the problem, they can't afford to fix the car. It's not at all a matter of spending choices. It's like people who "can't afford" insurance or "can't afford" to eat a healthy diet.

2/23/2013 2:11:36 PM

I am sure those 27% more people injured and killed in accidents per year will be glad that everyone saved the 40-50 bucks a year..

2/23/2013 2:52:19 PM

That's not what the statistic says.

2/23/2013 2:53:57 PM

TIL, decreasing accidents by 27% will lead to tougher inspections.

2/23/2013 3:05:10 PM

hopefully this passes

2/25/2013 3:51:25 PM

i hope not. not because i wouldn't mind not having to get my car inspected, but because of all the hunks of junks that will be driven around by irresponsible people who will be putting responsible people at risk.

2/25/2013 3:53:19 PM

meh, it's a negligible overall difference imo. then, maybe we can move on to scrapping emissions testing.

2/25/2013 4:15:26 PM

^^ same here.

I work with intelligent people for the most part, and i've had to leave a note on someones car because they had wiremesh coming out of their tires.

My younger bro never checked or changed the oil in the car he drove when he first started driving, and almost seized the engine.

People aren't responsible.

2/25/2013 4:36:16 PM

people are going to be driving slicktires until they blow, windshield wipers won't work so they won't be able to see during rain, headlights may become misaligned and shine straight into the eyes of oncoming traffic, etc. etc.

2/25/2013 5:16:08 PM

^ I can see most of that happening, but I will never understand how someone can drive with shit windshield wipers

2/25/2013 5:27:26 PM

I'm opening a place that will tint the fuck out of windows.

2/25/2013 5:28:26 PM

how often are you supposed to replace windshield wipers? I've got several replacements from the same place and I'm starting to think they just give me shit wipers. I don't do stupid things like run then when ice is on the windshield before scraping it all, etc. Is it just normal to replace them every 10,000 mi?

2/25/2013 7:44:32 PM

Once every year is about normal. Two years max for wipers. The rubber breaks down from sitting in the sun, and being exposed to the elements.

2/25/2013 8:02:58 PM

So what about those Quality NC Inspection businesses where that's pretty much all they do. I'm assuming that they will be lobbying heavily against this. Heck I'll go full crazy and make the claim that the lawmakers never intended to do away with inspections, they just wanted a free steak dinner and they came up with this so the inspection shops would take them out to eat a few times.

2/25/2013 8:18:36 PM

Quote :

"You're right. They should be driving a {more expensive} {less expensive} car. Because they clearly have money to buy a more expensive car. Considering how they don't have money to fix their current car. Because they could save money buy buying a less expensive car, which will have less of a chance of passing inspection."

NC State Safety Inspection checks very basic items that are protecting the safety of others on the road. They make sure that you can see, be seen, and have basic traction and steering abilities. Tires and steering components can be expensive to fix (I just paid $400 to replaced some steering components precisely because they were found out of tolerance during a state inspection, not because I felt my steering was loose or that my alignment was off), but most of the other items are usually pretty inexpensive to take care of. Some, like cracked windshields, can even be covered by your insurance company. If anything, I would expand the state inspection to include checking the condition of the brakes, because I've seen my share of people driving with excessively worn out or missing brake system components.

They are not checking if your fluids are fresh, if all your cylinders are firing, or if your power seats work.

2/25/2013 8:26:15 PM

i don't understand why they would get rid of this but keep the rest of the inspection. either completely get rid of it, or keep it the way it is. (to at least make sure cars meet the bare minimum safety on the roads... privilege vs right, etc)

2/25/2013 8:58:41 PM

i'd like to see it all gone, but getting rid of the fucking OBDII scans would be a good start.

2/25/2013 9:30:24 PM

Anecdotally, FL has no vehicle inspections and I've never seen or heard of a problem arising.

Conversely, I've had to deal with silly bullshit on a few occasions due to NC inspections, never mind the fact that it's a fucking pain if you're military and stationed out of state, because you can't get the shit inspected to re-register it.

2/25/2013 10:26:39 PM

Yea I went all dressed up after work the other day to get my truck re-inspected, and the guys at Chapel Hill Tire tried to fuck me over. Said my serpentine belt was "cracked" and wanted $120 to replace it. It was fine, no cracks across it, just the usual little cracks on the ribbed side of it. So I went outside, got my spare serpentine belt out of the toolbox and changed the bitch myself in the damn parking lot. They never even popped the hood, but just signed off on it. Trying to get over on people with stupid shit like that is why I am fine with them ending the inspections. Only 18 states have them. It's not like driving into the other 32 have these absolute shit heaps riding around any more than you see in NC.

2/26/2013 6:00:04 AM

You hear that clunk?
No …
Well, that tells me you need four new tires.
Really?
Yeah. Legally, I can't even let you drive outta here on these.

I got the "can't let you drive out of here" shtick when I was 16.

2/26/2013 8:28:24 AM

I understand the premise behind it and appreciate that. But many stations use it as an excuse to try to fuck you with stupid shit like ^ and ^^. Hence why they have gotten a bad rep and seem unnecessary now.

2/26/2013 10:32:15 AM

Quote :

"All government is bad government right?"

Whoever owns the roads has a responsibility to manage what drives upon them. You can argue the government shouldn't own the roads. But if you privatized them, those private owners would turn right around and mandate safety equipment on the vehicles operating on their roads.

2/26/2013 10:48:03 AM

Quote :

"t many stations use it as an excuse to try to fuck you with stupid shit like ^ and ^^"

while i understand that it happens, it's never happened to me in ~20 years. Once i had to get new tires to pass inspection, but it was warranted. And a couple times I had to buy windshield wipers from the inspection place.

2/26/2013 11:18:15 AM

I already feel like I'm driving around in a third world country, thanks to all the shitboxes that somehow get around the annual safety inspections. Im 100% against safety inspections being done away with. In fact I'm fully in favor of them being increased.

However I will agree that it's unnecessary on new cars, shouldn't be required till cars are at least 2-3 years old ( or 30k miles or so)

2/26/2013 11:21:43 AM

Quote :

"I understand the premise behind it and appreciate that. But many stations use it as an excuse to try to fuck you with stupid shit like ^ and ^^. Hence why they have gotten a bad rep and seem unnecessary now."

find a better mechanic then

believe it or not, there are a few honest ones out there

it's on you to find them

2/26/2013 11:32:44 AM

also stopping safety inspections isn't going to stop shady mechanics from trying to get you to buy things you don't need. They'll just do their "complimentary" 50 point inspection during your oil change instead.


Here is the best I could find in the way of studies on the subject.

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/158/71884.0001.001.pdf;jsessionid=1747E52CF3ECCF5C6FD7DC9C7B84ADA7?sequence=2

They seem to think that there are so many factors affecting vehicle safety like congestion in your area, weather conditions, etc that inspections just don't show up as a strong link for vehicle safety

[Edited on February 26, 2013 at 11:47 AM. Reason : some studies indicate they matter and others don't]

2/26/2013 11:36:24 AM

Maybe I just believe too much in personal responsibility. I work on my own cars and even though they are older, I would not put them on the road with my kids in them if I didn't feel they were safe to operate with my family in them. I don't need to give some some jackleg grease monkey $20 a year to tell me my car is safe or not. I have spent years under the hood of both. I understand that some people have no fucking clue how to even open the hood, let alone changing the oil, battery, but that is just me.

As to finding a better mechanic, I kinda feel like they are all scumbags to be honest with you. My dad is in upper management at a local tire/service store that had stores in the Triangle until a few months back (they sold them). Even going there they would try to fuck with me and overcharge every chance they could. Since they are gone I went to the most recommended one in town (Chapel Hill Tire) and got the "your serpentine belt is broken" BS.

2/26/2013 12:32:29 PM

That's a naive position, most motorists don't share your automotive knowledge or sense of personal responsibility and ethics

2/26/2013 12:50:47 PM

^

2/26/2013 12:59:36 PM

I'm just surprised that the motorists in the majority of states are able to avoid firey death on the roadways w/o having mandated saftey inspections.

2/26/2013 1:07:09 PM

I should be allowed to drive my car at any time...
























































ON FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

2/26/2013 1:08:09 PM

Quote :

"I'm just surprised that the motorists in the majority of states are able to avoid firey death"

you do realize how many people are killed in automobile accidents every year, don't you? that's a silly thing to say.

2/26/2013 1:16:54 PM

Quote :

"you do realize how many people are killed in automobile accidents every year, don't you"

yep, and in our own saftey inspection mandated state too.

if we were really serious about cutting down on deaths and making the roads safter, licenses wouldn't be handed out so easily

2/26/2013 1:39:46 PM

Found a link to this on the original WRAL story:

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/4151838/

Looks like the State Legislature had commissioned a study that found no appreciable gains for the program.

2/26/2013 3:35:01 PM

^^

Exactly, and we would fucking teach people how to drive.

2/26/2013 5:51:35 PM

i would support that. of course, that's more government intervention.

i also think parents should have to take a test and prove that they'd be fit parents before having a baby. and voters should have to pass a basic test too.

2/26/2013 5:58:17 PM

Quote :

"Found a link to this on the original WRAL story: http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/4151838/ Looks like the State Legislature had commissioned a study that found no appreciable gains for the program."

Looks like a misleading article to me.
Title:

Quote :

"Report: State should re-evaluate safety inspection program"

Body:

Quote :

"Raleigh, N.C. — The North Carolina General Assembly should re-evaluate the need for an automobile safety inspection program in light of a report showing no evidence exists that the program is effective, the lawmakers' Program Evaluation Division recommended Tuesday. Annually, North Carolinians spend $141 million on inspections. The Division of Motor Vehicles and the Division of Air Quality spend $40.8 million administering safety and emissions inspections. The Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee directed the Program Evaluation Division to determine if the programs were effective. In findings released Tuesday, auditors said it is impossible “to determine how much vehicle emissions inspections contribute to the improvement of overall air quality.” Also, the DMV’s program oversight was found to be inadequate. Greater emphasis should be placed on older vehicles, as they are more likely to fail inspection tests, auditors recommend. The report cited that other states that exempt newer vehicles from inspections. Auditors suggest the DMV start analyzing information it collects and use it to improve the inspection program. These would include annual reports from the Division of Air Quality, which is part of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. DMV Commissioner William C. Gore said his department had been unable to review DAQ’s reports from 2002 to 2006 because they were suspended during the expansion of the emissions program. In 2007, reportable program evaluations resumed, Gore said. The Legislature's Fiscal Research Division also should review both inspection programs to ensure an efficient and appropriate allocation of resources, auditors recommended. The vehicle safety inspection program has been in existence for 42 years and the emission program for 28 years. The efficiency of the programs had not been independently reviewed since the mid-1990s. In response to the report, B. Keith Overcash, director of the s Division of Air Quality, said the state’s air quality is “improving,” but it is difficult to determine the contribution of the emissions-inspection program. The DAQ disagrees with the recommendation to exempt the most recent model years from emissions inspections, Overcash said. New cars have the potential to be a larger contributor of air pollutants than older vehicles, DAQ said. The reasoning was that there are likely to be more newer cars and they are likely to be driven more frequently and driven farther, even though each car may generate less pollution than an older vehicle."

I don't see anything good or bad about the safety inspections. The only thing it says about the emissions inspection is it is impossible “to determine how much vehicle emissions inspections contribute to the improvement of overall air quality."

Keep in mind, the safety portion of the inspection is only $13.60. You'll still have to go to an inspection center and pay $16 for the emissions inspection if this passes. This won't save drivers any hassle and it'll only save <$14/year per car. Sounds like worthless and potentially harmful legislation to me. If anything, remove some of the ridiculous emissions rules, but don't mess with the safety inspection.

[Edited on February 26, 2013 at 6:44 PM. Reason : l]

2/26/2013 6:42:16 PM

Please realize that many people in the state of NC do NOT live in counties that require an emissions inspection, or have vehicles that are exempt, so those of us that fall under that WOULD benefit from this greatly.

[Edited on February 26, 2013 at 7:36 PM. Reason : ]

2/26/2013 7:36:05 PM

eh. I figured emissions inspections would be the first to go, since those aren't needed on most newer cars... I don't mind having the safety inspection.

2/26/2013 8:11:28 PM

I personally find it hilarious that cars older than model year 1996 are exempt from emissions testing. These are the cars that require emissions testing THE MOST

Fucking government idiots.

2/28/2013 8:40:58 AM

a majority of pre-1996 cars don't have OBDII, and OBDI is kinda crappy supposedly (not standardized, questionable results, etc)

[Edited on February 28, 2013 at 9:04 AM. Reason : the number of pre-96 cars on the road is shrinking every year too, so no big deal]

2/28/2013 9:03:21 AM

can't they just tell billy to stick his mouth on the tailpipe and he'll tell us what's going on?

2/28/2013 9:04:23 AM

You could and I think some have tried it, but I heard it was really hard to standardize Billys. Also the failure rate due to cancer was really high.

2/28/2013 9:18:55 AM

^LOL


^^^well yes, I'm aware that the reason they did away with pre-OBDII monitoring was because asking the technicians to maintain all the different types of emissions equipment wasn't cheap. But how difficult is it to read tailpipe emissions with a probe and determine whether the vehicle is running properly.

Amazingly enough, my 21 year old Integra is still on it's original catalytic convertor and O2 sensor. There's a chance that either of those items isn't functioning properly but I doubt it, as somehow this car is currently getting the best gas mileage it ever has

[Edited on February 28, 2013 at 9:50 AM. Reason : ^]

2/28/2013 9:47:44 AM

Quote :

"a majority of pre-1996 cars don't have OBDII, and OBDI is kinda crappy supposedly "

which is why they stuck a probe in your tailpipe

2/28/2013 10:53:04 AM