On 17 Jan 2005 06:39:17 -0800, "N8N" > wrote:

>I can't believe I'm actually posting this message, but I am going to
>have to say that I'm becoming more and more in favor of annual safety
>inspections for vehicles. It seems like more and more people just
>don't maintain their rides. I have heard, in the last week, a vehicle
>with a terminal-sounding rod knock;

Not a safety problem.

>seen a vehicle with an obviously
>blown head gasket,

Not a safety problem.

>and finally one with no lights on the rear of the
>vehicle at all except for the third brake light.

Doesn't need an inspection, just a cop that will pull it over.

>Now if these are the
>*obvious* issues immediately identified by a cursory glance from a
>passing vehicle, what else is being neglected? Brakes? Suspension?
>Critical drivetrain parts like the driveshaft that could actually pose
>a safety risk should it fail? It seems fairly likely...

I live in Virginia which as an inspection system. Its a hassle and is useless.
You'd have thought that they'd have told me that the brakes were within a year
of needing replaced, but no - mine failed about 5 months later. They don't
wear that fast, so the inspectors _should_ have known it, but didn't bother to
mention it.

Driveshaft problem won't be picked up in an inspection - they don't drive 'em
in order to be able to feel the vibration.

>The scary thing is, I live in a fairly affluent area. I am probably on
>the very bottom end of the salary range for this area, it's not like
>people are scraping to get by - or if they are, they don't show it. My
>16 year old car is the exception, anything over 10 years old is highly
>unusual. It would appear that people just don't care, or don't have
>enough mechanical knowledge to even identify serious problems...
>
>nate

Some states have had inspections and abandoned them. Indiana. Ohio. North
Carolina. Those are just the ones I know about.

Wasting time and money on this simply diverts effort that could be expended on
more effective remedies, like adding lanes to existing roads and building new
roads. This would lower congestion and save a lot more lives than are lost
from mechanical problems.