Feb. 28, 2020—A New Hampshire bill, House Bill 1114, was introduced on Wednesday to eliminate the mandatory vehicle safety inspection for non-commercial vehicles, while keeping the annual emissions checks in place, reports The Laconia Daily Sun.
According to the report, Rep. Casey Conley, D-Dover, has sponsored the bill, saying the bill has faced stiff opposition from the auto repair industry and will be amended to change the safety inspection to every other year rather than eliminate it.
Conley says 34 states do not have safety inspections, including some in cold climates.
“Depending on the year, and the methods used, Minnesota, Washington and Ohio are typically ranked among the safest states in the U.S. for motorists. Again, no inspection in these states,” he said in a statement to the House Transportation Committee. “Yet Texas, Louisiana and Virginia, all of which have a safety inspection, rank in the middle of the pack, or lower, for overall highway safety.”
He went on to quote a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study, which indicated component failures were responsible for 2 percent of all crashes, while driver behavior accounted for 94 percent of crashes studied in the report.
The New Hampshire Automobile Dealers Association opposes the new legislation, stating that thousands of cars fail the inspection yearly, often for important safety problems with tires or brakes, according to the report.
According to LegiScan, the bill will continue on and an executive session will be held on Tuesday, March 3.
With all of the news lately on vehicle inspection legislation, here's a look at recent news stories that show what's going on in other states.
- Update: W.V. Vehicle Inspection Bill Killed
- ASA Opposes La. Anti-Vehicle Safety Inspection Bill
- Va. Vehicle Inspections Reveal Defects
What's the law in your state? Do you believe inspections should be mandatory? Why or why not? Share your thoughts in the comments.
