Car inspections save lives

Recently proposed legislation to eliminate the North Carolina vehicle safety inspection will directly impact the safety of North Carolina’s highways, our families and our children.

In 2011, more than 1.2 million vehicles in North Carolina, roughly 15 percent of all vehicles, failed their initial safety inspection. Additionally, there were more than 5,000 vehicles involved in reported accidents in North Carolina in 2011 in which defective tires, brakes, various lights and other vehicle defects were noted.

Last month, a 13-year-old student at a bus stop was hit and seriously injured by a car in Nash County. The driver of the vehicle was charged with several violations including having unsafe tires. Vehicle safety is a very real issue that has direct and deadly consequences if not properly monitored.

There is no doubt that the safety inspection process could be enhanced, and we commend the bill sponsors for looking at a management improvement plan for the state’s emissions inspection program. However, a policy in place that requires drivers on our highways to regularly have their vehicles inspected is good public policy that saves lives.

Robert J. Glaser

President, North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association

Raleigh