For States Without Safety Inspection Programs:Vehicle Safety is Public Safety -- and Makes Dollars and Sense Preventing motor vehicle crashes saves lives and saves public and private dollars. Motor vehicle crashes:
In 1996, there were more than 4.5 MILLION motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. (4,548,000). 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 [AAMA Motor Vehicle Facts & Figures, 1997]. An Aging Vehicle Fleet = More Hazardous Vehicles The motor vehicle fleet is not only growing---it’s getting older. Owners are keeping their cars longer. The average age of the cars on our roads is now 8.6 years compared to 6.6 years in 1980 [AAMA Motor Vehicle Facts & Figures, 1997]. Studies show that as vehicles age, they are more likely to be involved in a fatal crash involving defective equipment.[GAO, p.15-6]. 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 studied 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.]. According to the U.S. DOT, brake system performance could be involved as a contributing factor in as many as one third of all heavy truck crashes [1987 DOT report "Heavy Truck Safety Study" (DOT HS 807 109); Woolverton testimony before Minnesota House of Representatives, October 29, 1993, p. 4]. 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 Government Accounting Office 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]. Recent correlations between states with inspection programs and the average number of deaths per 100 million miles traveled shows a substantial difference. States without PMVI programs suffer 1.91 deaths for every 100 million miles traveled. States with PMVI programs only suffer 1.67 deaths - a 12.6% difference [Traffic death statistics from the National Safety Council]. Brake Systems Are Especially Important Brakes do more than just stop the vehicle. Properly functioning brakes help to control the vehicle, undertake evasive maneuvers, and shorten the distance needed to bring the vehicle to a halt. Yet brakes are the most common safety-related defects found in motor vehicle inspection programs. For example, of the 5.2 million passenger cars that the Commonwealth of Virginia inspected in 1986, 24.6% failed the brake inspection [Coalition for Safer, Cleaner Vehicles white paper “The Need for a Study of Brake Condition of Vehicles-In-Use,” March 9, 1990, p. 1] . A NHTSA study found that 36% of the cars studied failed brake inspection.[1977 NHTSA Technical report “Motor Vehicle Diagnostic Inspection Demonstration Program,” (DOT HS 802 760) Woolverton testimony before Minnesota House of Representatives, October 29, 1993, p. 4]. 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]. Today’s Brake Systems Are Complex 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. Future technologies, such as lighter-weight and environmentally safe materials, are expected to 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 today’s brake systems. Visual inspections, though time-consuming, never check if the brakes actually work. [CSCV video narration] Brake imbalance is detectable only during hard braking [CSCV video narration], such as in a dynamic brake test. Dynamic brake testing tests the actual braking force to each wheel to verify proper brake balance and operation [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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