According to a poll from CouponCodes4U.com, out of the 2,724 Americans polled nationwide, 35 percent of the respondents who own vehicles said their car was "unsafe." A whopping 37 percent of the respondents that admitted to driving these deathtraps said they were "worried" their vehicle was dangerous enough to cause a car accident.
That means more than 10 percent* of drivers knowingly risk people's lives simply going for a ride.
*Simple math: 2,724 multiplied by 35 percent equals 953, and that multipled by 37 percent equals 352. So, 352 people out of 2,724 polled admitted to purposely driving a vehicle they though posed a dangerous to themselves and others -- almost a total of 13 percent of the poll's respondents.
No wonder it's so hard to sell some people auto repair, even when they desperately need it.
I see this all the time when vehicles fail a New York State Inspection. You see, all vehicles registered in New York State must get a safety inspection every 12 months. The car owners whose vehicles fail are actually angry at me, as if I am their evil sixth grade science teacher giving them a pop quiz or something. Instead of being grateful that I am making them aware of a major problem, they are livid.
New York State Inspections can be quite funny, actually. For example, a burned out license plate bulb is a failure, but a severed ball joint and worn away control arm bushings are not criteria.
Imagine me reporting this to the customer.
Me: Dear sir, your vehicle passes the New York State Inspection, but I think you should be advised that the only thing holding your vehicle's control arm in place is gravity. That horrible metallic grinding noise you hear all the time is caused by the fact that the bushings and ball joint on the right side are totally shot.
Customer: But, that doesn't fail inspection?
Me: Well, no...
Customer: Yay!
Being that almost ten percent of the population admits to driving drunk, I honestly think that the cost of repair has nothing to do with it (something that 37 percent of the dangerous drivers blamed for their lack of common decency). People simply don't respect the rights of other people on the road.
Driving is not a human right. It's a privilege. I think safety inspections required by states are just one of many means we have to exploit to ensure road safety. Sadly, more needs to be done.
