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No more car inspections? Seriously?
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Maybe it’s because I’ve never lived anywhere that hasn’t required an inspection. Maybe I shouldn’t complain. It’s not as if I hear anyone else complaining that starting October 1, the District will no longer require car safety inspections. Who can honestly say they look forward to driving down to the city’s only inspection station, only to wait in a line that usually wraps around the corner, only to wait another 30 minutes in the car out of hopes their vehicle will pass muster? I mean, is there anyone who can honestly say these car inspections are even necessary? Actually, there is.
Earlier this year, when automobile advocacy group AAA Mid-Atlantic testified against the measure before the DC Council, spokesman and lobbyist John Townsend was asked by Council member Jim Graham, “Where’s your constituency?” That’s how Townsend remembers it, anyway. Graham was right to question who would want to support keeping such a requirement. Afterall, no one looks forward to having their car inspected. But as Townsend puts it, there's at least one very good reason for requiring car inspections: public safety. “We believe the program change will increase the number of dangerous cars on the roads,” Townsend told me in an interview. He said that in 2008, some 168-thousand cars and trucks were inspected in the District, and of those, nearly 20-percent failed because of safety defects. The District, which has one of the most rigorous safety inspections in the country, puts privately-owned cars and trucks through an 81-point inspection. Nothing is overlooked. Workers not only inspect brakes, tires, seatbelts, lights and turning signals. They also test whether your window rolls down like it should. “It really gets to whether your car is safe or not,“ says Townsend. I’ve had the unfortunate privilege of failing a DC inspection before. It’s not a fun process. But isn’t it worth knowing that your car’s basic parts are operating as they should? Apparently not, according to the District.
A recent article in the "Washington Post" quoted District officials as saying there was no evidence that routine inspections make vehicles less accident-prone. “It’s a really burdensome requirement on drivers that has no effect,” DMV Director Lucinda Babers told the Post. Wow. Really? I can’t argue with the statement about it being a burdensome requirement. But you’re telling me that driving around with bad breaks and faulty turn-signals will not increase my chances, in any way, of being involved in an accident? Apparently, one-hundred years of simple car maintenance has been a complete sham.
AAA Mid-Atlantic’s John Townsend says now more than ever, car safety inspections are needed. “Due in part to the recession, people are cutting back on car maintenance,” he says. His group did a study recently showing that repair shops have seen business decrease dramatically since the economy started tanking. What’s more, Townsend says the average car on the road these days is about 9-years-old, making them prime for steady maintenance. I don’t know about you, but I’ve seen plenty of old cars putting around the District, some of which were barely held together by a bungee cord. Some put out so much smoke it’s a health hazard. That being said, the District is not getting rid of its emissions tests. You will still be required to go through emissions inspections. That’s required by federal law. The point is, how many people can actually say they pay enough attention to their vehicle to know how to spot a potential safety problem? I can’t count how many times I’ve had friends (most of them women, but not exclusively) ask: “What‘s that screeching noise?“, or “Why does it take so long to come to a complete stop?” or “How come when I turn the ignition, I smell gas?” That’s probably a sign your car is about to explode. “Just take the bus,” I’d say.
DC officials estimate that 400-thousand dollars will be saved each year by not requiring vehicle safety inspections. I realize times are tight. Governments all across the country are looking for every way possible to save money. Here’s another way to save even more money. Stop producing those “No Taxation Without Representation” license plates. Instead, just hand out bumper stickers that read “How’s my driving? I have no brakes.”
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