State Inspection is good!

[charlie1]

I had my 1989 Riviera with nearly 300k on it inspected for Pennsylvania state inspection last week at my friendly Buick dealer. They found a leaking Left real Caliber. I had both rear calibers replaced at a costs of $150.00 each and labor of about $200.00.

As info it is not equiped with ABS. Glad it is not from all I have read.

In any event I am in favor of a good fair state inspection once a year!

Charlie

[Guest steveskyhawk]

Would you believe that the State of Califiornia has no such inspection required? Also license plates stay with a used car when sold. If they have a current registration sticker on the plate then they appear to be registered. I'm from NY and you can't get a plate unless the car is INSURED.

It is not uncommon to see catastrophic wrecks on the freeways due to structural failures. Same people have no brakes, no insurance, no license and should they cause an accident they can simply run and you can't even find out who owned the car! Gas and oil is all they need. I love it when they run out of gas and block the freeway. No penalty whatsoever. And we worry about the appearance of our shifter tape!

[HRP]

In theory, state inspections sound good, but there are good and bad inspectors. You can get a car passed with a very quick cursory inspection or you can get soaked by a shop that finds "things" to fix. A better system would be to have inspection only stations run by your car insurance company since they have a real vested interest in making sure your vehicle is structurally sound. The cost of the inspection would be covered by your policy. BTW, they should also be the ones to conduct drivers' license examinations. Please notice that I did not say "issue" drivers' licenses. These 2 moves would not only improve the safety of the cars and the competency of the drivers, but would place a degree of responsibility for both on the insurance sompany. Earnings should go up as rates fall. Tossing in a provisos that being stopped or involved in an accident while not wearing a seat belt or driving under the influence would limit the insurance company's liability to you, and insurance costs, accident rates, and death rates would plummet.

[Ronnie]

Here in Tennessee we are a little behind the times. We have just recently passed laws that make liability insurance mandatory. We do not currently have vehicle inspections for passenger cars but we do for commercial trucks.

If we do pass laws that require inspections on our cars, I would like to see a system similar to what is in place for the trucks. The Tennessee Department of Safety is in charge of the inspections. They have no interest in who does the repairs as long as they are done correctly. They have no reason to find problems in order to make money from repairing them. My daughter lives in North Carolina and she is required to take the car to an authorized inspection facility that is run by Joe Sixpack at his local garage. Unless you have a new car like my daughter, he is going to find something wrong. That is why he wanted to be an inspection station in the first place.

I don't believe I would want an insurance company involved in inspecting my car for similar reasons as a repairman inspecting it. They would have an interest in bringing the vehicle up to unreasonable standards to "save" money which is anther way of saying "make" money in the name of safety. I believe safety is important and I believe inspections in Tennessee are needed. I also think the inspectors need to be completely separated from those who stand to profit by repairing the safety problems.

[Guest joereatta]

You say it is not equipped with ABS. I thought that all Reattas had the ABS system. Was this a post manufactured alteration?

[charlie1]

ZZZ

Edited August 2, 2009 by CHAS1 (see edit history)

[ikesleeping]

I,m guessing you have never had the pleasure of the Tenn.famed DOT inspectors going over your equipment. The fines for suspected violations can run into hundreds of dollars which goes into Tenn.coffers. It gives one a chance to meet various Tenn. lawyers so as to recover the fine monies imposed by them. Remember to be careful of what you wish for... Merry Christmas to everyone.. be safe!

[Reatta45]

Revenue enhancement

[Guest steveskyhawk]

Wait a minute! TDman says there is no inspection for pax cars in Tennessee. Ikesleeping complains about the inspectors in that state. I don't know who is right but i know i'm real sick of seeing cars flipping end over end on dry, strait roads on sunny days. I've seen cars here in California going down the road at night at 70 MPH with sparks coming off their tires from the steel belts contacting the concrete! A state inspection might catch this. I wish safety inspections were as big an issue in CA as smog inspections. I never had a car fail one of those checks and i'm certain a safety inspection would be no difficulty for my cars either.

[wwebb]

I previously lived in Florida where the state conducted vehicle inspections. I recollect they were done in a professional manner and they did discover that one of my brakes was not working properly. Now I am in Michigan, no vehicle inspections and I don't recollect a single newspaper article about how a car with defective something caused a serious accident.

At the risk of sounding like a bean counter, what is the cost/benefit analysis? How many serious accidents do we really have because of vehicles with mechanical problems that an inspection would actually have discovered the problem in time for it to be corrected? I suspect VERY few. How about spending more money to figure out how to keep drunks off the road. Perhaps also an annual state subsidy to help those who drive Reattas. :-)

[Guest steveskyhawk]

Here in California the drunk driving problem has been addressed. Even the celebrities are being caught. There are still many people driving without a driver's license because you need to be a citizen to get one. If you can't get a license why bother with registration? You need insurance to get a registration but if you don't intend to register well..... so much for insurance. Money is tight so we will get new tires, brakes, shocks and ball joints next week. Gas is expensive so we can't afford to fill up. If the tank runs dry in rush hour traffic on a freeway, just wait, (block traffic) and a tow truck will come along soon and give you 2 gallons for free! Once back on the way should this fictitious person be involved in a bad accident because that pesky ball joint failed, chances are that they could be injured along with many others. No problem. Take the free ambulance to the hospital and be treated for free because they have to treat. No I.D. no charge. The rest of the people in the accident? Their cars will be fixed by their uninsured motorist clause on their insurance. Their health insurance will pay for everybody's treatment including the guy with no I.D. because the hospital cannot operate at a loss. No penalties to the person that caused the accident because the accident was an "act of god".

[Ronnie]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ikesleeping</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I,m guessing you have never had the pleasure of the Tenn.famed DOT inspectors going over your equipment. The fines for suspected violations can run into hundreds of dollars which goes into Tenn.coffers. It gives one a chance to meet various Tenn. lawyers so as to recover the fine monies imposed by them. Remember to be careful of what you wish for... Merry Christmas to everyone.. be safe! </div></div>

No, I have never had the pleasure of inspectors going over my commercial truck. I don't own one. However, it does give me pleasure when I drive by the weigh station and see those inspectors putting on their coveralls and crawling under a truck to do their job. It makes me feel safer.

I would not like paying fines, but laws need some type of deterrent to keep people from repeatedly breaking them. Laws without teeth are useless and should never be implemented in the first place.

I'm sure there are Tenn. inspectors that go beyond what is reasonable but I don't believe they are motivated by generating revenue as much as they are by a true concern for safety. After all, their sons and daughters have to drive on the same highways as the trucks. They know the destruction of property and lives that happens when something fails on one of the large trucks.

As Info:

T-DOT is responsible for building and maintaining the highways.

Tennessee Dept. of Safety is responsible for inspections, enforcing the regulations and licensing/titling of vehicles.

[charlie1]

IZZZ

Edited August 2, 2009 by CHAS1 (see edit history)

[Guest steveskyhawk]

I'm concerned with this NAFTA. If you have ever been to Mexico you won't want Mexican trucks sharing the road with you unless they have been inspected. I fly a charter jet and we must carry insurance specific to Mexico and proove it at every stop when in Mexico. Mexican aircraft on the other hand need fuel to operate in the US. That's it!

[Guest steveskyhawk]

I'm concerned with this NAFTA. If you have ever been to Mexico you won't want Mexican trucks sharing the road with you unless they have been inspected. I fly a charter jet and we must carry insurance specific to Mexico and proove it at every stop when in Mexico. Mexican aircraft on the other hand need fuel to operate in the US. That's it!

[ikesleeping]

We are talking about two different things. DOT refers to commercial truck enforcement not cars. Sorry sometimes assume everyone has the same knowledge..Merry Christmas drive safe

[ikesleeping]

After rereading TDmans post I would like to expand on his concern for safety. I think every one with a drivers license should have drug tests to get your license be subject to random drug tests ,prove your ability to drive by taking a test every other year and complete physicals every 3 years until you are 60 then complete physicals every year..If your caught with no ins.then mandatory jail. I think I too would feel better going by a inspection station and see them checking out the cars as they have a much worse record than commercial trucks..Safety for all would be a good thing.

[Guest TommyH]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ikesleeping</div><div class="ubbcode-body">After rereading TDmans post I would like to expand on his concern for safety. I think every one with a drivers license should have drug tests to get your license be subject to random drug tests ,prove your ability to drive by taking a test every other year and complete physicals every 3 years until you are 60 then complete physicals every year..If your caught with no ins.then mandatory jail. I think I too would feel better going by a inspection station and see them checking out the cars as they have a much worse record than commercial trucks..Safety for all would be a good thing.</div></div>

The problem I see with that is people will complain about it becoming a police state, and all that. Also, the cost would be much greater, and the prison's are already over thier designed operating capacity.

[Ronnie]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ikesleeping</div><div class="ubbcode-body">We are talking about two different things. DOT refers to commercial truck enforcement not cars. Sorry sometimes assume everyone has the same knowledge..Merry Christmas drive safe </div></div>

DOT Department of Transportation - Plans, implements, maintains and manages an integrated transportation system for the movement of people and products, with emphasis on quality, safety, efficiency and the environment.

DOT has nothing to do with commercial truck enforcement in Tennessee. In this case, I'm happy knowing that everyone does not have the same knowledge.

And in the words of the famous Forest Gump: That's all I've got to say about that...

[Guest MauiWowee]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: TommyH</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ikesleeping</div><div class="ubbcode-body">After rereading TDmans post I would like to expand on his concern for safety. I think every one with a drivers license should have drug tests to get your license be subject to random drug tests ,prove your ability to drive by taking a test every other year and complete physicals every 3 years until you are 60 then complete physicals every year..If your caught with no ins.then mandatory jail. I think I too would feel better going by a inspection station and see them checking out the cars as they have a much worse record than commercial trucks..Safety for all would be a good thing.</div></div>

The problem I see with that is people will complain about it becoming a police state, and all that. Also, the cost would be much greater, and the prison's are already over thier designed operating capacity. </div></div>

You are wise beyond your years, Tommy.

[ikesleeping]

The rules governing transportation is set by the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Regulations.

Federal Highway Administration Requirements

The Federal Highway Administration is responsible for the safety of all commercial vehicles registered to operate on federal highways. This includes motorcoaches and trucks , which are required to comply with stringent safety rules. To make sure they do, DOT inspectors continually conduct safety checks at garages, along the highways and at major tourism areas throughout the United States.

note to Tommy,,I was describing the present rules , with some extra health requirements for age, that all Commercial drivers are required to pass.

I believe that is all I will comment,any further knowledge can be gleaned from Federal Motor Carriers Safety Regulations.

[Dandy Dave]

Here in NY, the last few years, the inspection on vehicles 1997 and after are pluged into a computor. To pass inspection, all the engine controls have to work, and what ever else is connected. The information is sent to Albany. If anything fails to work, Then the vehicle also fails. It will not pass until whatever sensors that need to be replaced, are replaced.

No more removing the bulb from the check engine light like in the old days. What this has to do with a "Safty Inspection"??? I don't know??? Another money making scheme for the Garage/Inspection stations. Most of this trash has nothing to do with safty. IE, Brakes, tires, lights, wipers. The frame could be rusted right in half and you would pass as long as this stuff works. Just a lot of under handed bureaucratic BS.....

Time to get out of NY! Dave!