A new bill introduced in Missouri eliminate the requirement for vehicle inspections. If passed into law, Missouri House Bill 1444 could save motorists time and money.
Think you have a lemon, click here to fill out a 60 second form.
Sponsor of the bill, Rep. J. Eggleston, said only 16 states require inspections, none of which border Missouri. Research presented when introducing the bill indicates inspections do not impact road safety.
“I looked into some of the traffic statistics on fatalities, state by state,” Eggleston told FOX news. “I sorted them from the most dangerous to the most safe, then tagged each of those states with which ones do inspections to see if all of the inspection states were clustered on the safe end or if they were just scattered around, and it didn`t really matter. Turns out they were scattered around, so it doesn’t really seem to matter.”
A transportation task force that toured the state found speed, inattention and impairment are the leading causes of traffic fatalities, Eggleston said, adding that none of those factors are vehicle inspection related.
“Most people pay $12 to get their car inspected,” Eggleston said. “But you take that times the number of inspections, that’s over $30 million that our citizens have to pay and the hassle for this government-imposed regulation that doesn’t really seem to lead to any safety.”
Eggleston said the state only profits about $1.50 from each inspection.
Automotive Service Association and the American Automobile Association of Missouri and against the change in law.
“Missouri and other state studies have shown the value of these vehicle safety inspection programs in terms of saving lives, preventing injuries and damage to property,” The ASA said on its website, which includes a form to send to law makers in opposition of the bill. “Regular vehicle safety inspections by a qualified technician can identify and repair most safety issues that arise from normal wear and tear on the vehicle. If enacted, this bill will eliminate a program specifically designed to protect the motoring public.”
Also against the change is many auto maintenance providers, who say inspections are necessary for public safety because the process alerts drivers to issues that need repair such as worn out tires or brake pads.
Rusell Phillips, owner of Northtown Auto, told The Kansas City Star he thinks eliminating inspections would “definitely lead to an increase in unsafe vehicles on the road.”
Phillips said the vehicle safety checks also check critical fluid levels, which if not checked can lead to safety issues.
“There are certain fluids that, if they fail, can create a safety concern,” he said. “For example (mechanics could check) if your power steering was leaking. That way if you were in an emergency response type of situation and the car didn’t respond as it was designed to for steering, that could be dangerous. And of course brake fluid leaks could be dangerous as well.”
If the bill is signed into law, it would take effect in August.
Lemon law attorneys help their clients by dealing directly with the manufacturer on the clients’ behalf, working to promptly resolve the issue and get their clients back on the road. Thanks to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, attorneys can seek their fees directly from the manufacturer, meaning a client can obtain legal counsel without having to pay attorneys’ fees directly out of pocket.