Feb. 27, 2020—Rhode Island auto repair shops are warning drivers that the state's new inspection system is much stricter than it was in the past, reports The Valley Breeze.
According to the report, auto repair shop owners around Lincoln, R.I., say the new system is targeting license plates and window tinting, among other things.
The report says Eddie Fox, owner of Larry’s Lincoln Auto Repair, said the state’s emissions and safety testing division delivered a digital camera to his shop a few weeks ago to be used during inspections. The person inspecting the vehicle is now required to snap five photos of the car inside and out, before uploading the images and sending them to a digital archive. The cameras, which were distributed to every inspection station in the state this month, tie into the R.I. Division of Motor Vehicles.
According to an information packet given to local shops by Rhode Island state officials, the changes were set off by “the implementation of electronic tolling and traffic law enforcement systems throughout the country” that rely on license plates to identify vehicles.
The changes in Rhode Island were enforced in Massachusetts last year and are part of a federal program.
Diligent photos may actually be a benefit to your shop. Here's a look at how implementing digital inspections helped a shop owner:
https://www.ratchetandwrench.com/articles/4363-inspection-perfection
If you need to start taking photos, you may as well do it right and, as a bonus, you can certain photos for social media and your website.
https://www.ratchetandwrench.com/articles/2846-eight-tips-for-a-perfect-auto-repair-photo-shoot
