District of Columbia Does Away With Automobile Car Safety Inspections - Experienced Pennsylvania Car Accident Lawyer Hopes Other States Do Not Follow Suit - Who Really Pays The Price?
According to a recent news report, the District of Columbia decided that its periodic motor vehicle safety inspections are unnecessary “flab.” Unbelievably the D.C. Council stated that a lack of data failed to prove that periodic safety inspections saves lives.
As a Philadelphia car accident lawyer for 30 years, I know the importance of periodic safety inspections and even though the economy is tight, postponing repairs (which is becoming more common these days) can often lead to a catastrophic consequence, including fatalities and serious injury. Many consumers complain that when their car is inspected, the mechanics always find something expensive that needs fixing such as brakes or tires.
Since 1989, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last looked at state inspection programs and concluded that periodic checks definitely cut the number of poorly maintained vehicles on the road. There was a debate whether or not there should be a federal mandate. However, NHTSA decided it is still an issue that should be determined by the states and that changing the same would require new congressional legislation. NHTSA’s official position is that safety inspections remain an issue that should be left to the states and that only the federally mandated annual emission inspections are still necessary for areas of poor quality. However such inspections only look at emissions equipment.
In the opinion of this experienced Philadelphia car accident lawyer, when the economy is tight, it is more important than ever to have safety inspections because if you are running on a tight budget, you tend to skip badly needed maintenance. It has been estimated that 12 to 33% of all car accidents can be tied to poorly maintained vehicles.
The Pennsylvania safety inspection program involves 11 million inspections per year at approximately 17,000 private garages which cost approximately $300 million dollars a year. The cost is borne by vehicle owners who pay $16 or $23 for safety inspections depending on the type and age of their vehicles. Peter Wasco, Director of Pennsylvania Bureau of Motor Vehicles states that the Commonwealth is certainly continuing to maintain the inspection program because the program “saves lives.”
As a consumer safety advocate and Pennsylvania catastrophic injury lawyer with an emphasis on car accidents, it is my feeling that the Pennsylvania inspection system benefits all drivers on the road in Pennsylvania and I believe that the D.C. decision will ultimately prove to be a poor choice with regard to consumer safety.
