Mike Curtis, the manager at Sandone Tire in Scranton, PA, said that his shop performs between 100 and 150 vehicle inspections per month. The most frequently found problems involve worn brakes, ball joints and tires. If vehicle inspections were to be eliminated, safety advocates fear that vehicle owners may forgo necessary repairs.
Below is the article as it appeared on The Scranton Times Tribune website.
New Jersey ends car inspections; Pennsylvania safety experts say it’s bad idea
By Libby A. Nelson (Staff Writer)
Published: August 10, 2010
For drivers in Pennsylvania, the state-mandated safety inspection is a yearly ritual: Check the brakes, the lights, the wipers, pay around $20, take a new sticker and hit the road.
In New Jersey, that ritual disappeared Aug. 1, when the state no longer required passenger vehicles to pass an inspection. Only 20 states now require that vehicles undergo an annual or biennial checkup.
Pennsylvania inspection laws are unlikely to change anytime soon, officials said. New Jersey’s change alarmed lawmakers and safety advocates, who point out that Pennsylvanians frequently share roads with New Jersey drivers.
"I would not want those noninspected New Jersey cars with bad brakes driving in my area," said state Rep. Mario Scavello, who represents part of Monroe and Pike counties. "You’re going to have cars on the road that shouldn’t be on the road. It could take some lives."
State saves cash
Safety checkups in New Jersey were required every other year and performed by a state contractor. Eliminating them will save the state about $12 million annually.
In Pennsylvania, where drivers typically pay between $16 and $23 for inspection at a privately owned garage, the requirement costs the state only about $1.5 million.
To read the entire article, visit The Scranton Times Tribune website at http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/new-jersey-ends-car-inspections-pennsylvania-safety-experts-say-it-s-bad-idea-1.936784.
