For States with Recently Repealed Safety Programs:Motor Vehicles and Vehicle Inspection Programs: Times Have Changed Today’s changing vehicle fleet -- more vehicles, older vehicles, and advances in automobile technologies -- means more potential vehicle safety problems that can put everyone on the road at risk. More Vehicles and Older Vehicles = More Hazardous Vehicles In 1997 there were 198,293,459 motor vehicles registered in the United States. The number of registrations has been increasing at the rate of approximately 2.5% for the past several decades AAMA Motor Vehicle Facts & Figures, 1997. The number of miles traveled has increased an average of 2.5% each year
this decade. It’s a fact -- owners are keeping their cars longer. Studies show that as vehicles age, they are more likely to be involved in a fatal crash which involved defective equipment GAO, p.15-6 and be cited for problems in vehicle inspections. Unsafe Vehicles Put Everyone At Risk We’re all at risk when we share the road with vehicles whose safety systems are not working properly. More than 75% of crash fatalities involve more than one vehicle passenger video narration. According to the U.S. Government Accounting Office (GAO), vehicles with worn or defective brakes, tires, lights, or other safety-related components are a hazard to both their owners and other motorists GAO, p. 3. One in-depth study, conducted by the Institute for Research in Public Safety, found that 12.6% of crashes studies were caused or aggravated by defective or worn vehicle equipment GAO, p. 4 and Nationwide and Missouri Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Program Fatal Crash Analysis, 1992-1994, Missouri State Highway Patrol, December 1995, p. 3. The public recognizes this risk and supports vehicle inspections. In a recent survey of midwestern auto club members, 81% said they supported state safety inspections St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “Most in Poll Favor Auto Emission Tests,” March 5, 1997. They recognize that a state inspection program is the best way to find hazardous vehicles before a crash occurs. Vehicle Inspections Find Problems and Prevent Crashes The GAO found that states with annual vehicle safety inspection programs had traffic accident rates 17% lower than those without such programs 1990 GAO report “Motor Vehicle Safety, NHTSA Should Resume Its Support of State Periodic Inspection Programs,” Woolverton testimony before Minnesota House of Representatives, October 29, 1993, p. 3 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has studied vehicle inspection programs and concluded that such programs significantly reduce the number of poorly maintained vehicles on the highways GAO, p. 3. When Virginia tightened up its inspection program between 1982 and 1986, the crashes attributed to vehicle defects over this period decreased 48 percent GAO, p. 22. That’s why 22 states, 7 Canadian provinces, Australia, Japan and the European community have vehicle inspection programs. Even developing nations like Peru, Columbia, and China have instituted dynamic brake testing in some of their inspection programs. Motor vehicle inspection programs are supported by the GAO, NHTSA, and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA). AAMVA believes that “vehicle inspection is a vital part of any overall traffic safety effort.”Policy Positions & Bylaws, AAMVA, August 1996, p. 47 GAO states that “inspection programs improve highway safety” and “periodic inspection programs reduce accident rates.” GAO, p. 20 According to NHTSA, periodic inspection programs contribute to highway safety and should be supported GAO, p. 20. Testing is Especially Important for Today’s Complex Brake Systems Today’s brake technologies are far more complex than just ten years ago. Brakes are one of the most common defects cited in crashes found in inspections. Many passenger vehicles on the road today have front wheel drive, which relies on properly balanced brakes to handle the enormous difference between front and rear axle weights. The proper balance in these sensitive brake systems is necessary for safe stopping, especially in panic situations. New technologies, such as lighter-weight and environmentally safe materials, will provide additional challenges to the proper, long-term operation of brake systems Woolverton testimony before Minnesota House of Representatives, October 29, 1993, p. 4. Dynamic Brake Testing: It Finds Problems Other Tests Miss The traditional method of brake inspection -- removing one or more wheels for a visual check -- isn’t enough, especially for modern brake systems. Visual inspections are time-consuming, yet never check if the brakes actually work CSCV video narration. Nearly one fifth -- 19.1% -- of 1,028 vehicles tested at random in three large cities failed brake balance testing B400 Action Report, Hunter 1990. Brake imbalance is detectable only during hard braking, such as in a dynamic brake test. CSCV video narration In computerized dynamic brake testing, the vehicle is simply driven onto a metal plate and the brakes applied -- no need for lifts, tools, or vehicle disassembly. Compared to visual testing, computerized dynamic brake testing:
Computerized dynamic brake testing:
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