Inspection guidelines to soften?

The federal government is considering softening guidelines for state vehicle inspection programs, which are critical to service station revenue and aftermarket sales of such parts as hydraulic brake, steering and suspension components, plus tires and wheel assemblies, not to mention being critical to vehicle safety. The "softening" comes in the form of a proposal from the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to drop some important language from its Guideline No. 1, called Periodic Motor Vehicle Inspection.

States use that guideline (and others on different topics) when they use federal highway funds to run state inspection programs. Those funds come via federal Highway Safety Act section 402. It lists a number of accident prevention areas, such as inspection, drunk driving and senior driving, where states can spend the funds. Section 402 funding in fiscal 2012 is $235 million, a total that has held steady since fiscal 2008. However, many states do not use that money for inspection programs. In fact, only 19 states have inspection programs.

Although Guideline No. 1 has limited reach, it does have symbolic value, setting a minimum performance level, though voluntary, for states that do have inspection programs. That is why a number of vehicle trade associations are unhappy with NHTSA's plan to change its current recommendation of "annual" inspections to "periodic" inspections. The proposed new language would also delete that inspections should "equal or exceed criteria issued or endorsed by NHTSA."

The criteria on inspections of brakes, steering, etc. were initially written four decades ago. E.L. Eversman, president of the Automotive Education Policy Institute, says the criteria are "woefully inadequate" as is. "It is, perhaps, obvious to states that motor vehicles have changed substantially since 1974, including auto manufacturers' use of high-strength steels, aluminum parts, composite materials and, of course, the mandatory installation of supplemental restraint systems in the form of airbags," he says.

The Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA) and its affiliate, the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), want the NHTSA to expand minimum inspection standards. "The systems and components that should be included are: lighting, mirrors, windshields and other glass, seat belts, air bags, dashboard warning lights for operation of anti-lock brake systems and electronic stability control systems, doors, fuel systems and exhaust systems," says Robert E. McKenna, President & CEO of MEMA. "Expanding and updating the inspection standards would ensure that state programs are continuing to focus on critical safety parts and systems."

But the NHTSA is under pressure from the Governors Highway Safety Association, which has lobbied hard — with NHTSA and Congress — to drop the periodic inspection guideline entirely. The group says Section 402 is limited and should be targeted on "countermeasures that can have the most impact." It says it is "highly unlikely" states will use highway safety grants for periodic inspection programs.

Barbara Harsha, executive director of the GHSA, says NHTSA has identified impaired driving, inadequate occupant protection, bike, pedestrian and motorcycle safety, EMS, speeding and aggressive driving and traffic records as national priorities.     

But there is clear research linking inspection programs to fewer road deaths. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation estimates that the state will have between 115 and 169 fewer fatal crashes each year due to the state’s annual inspection program. This corresponds to between 127 and 187 fewer fatalities annually. The study went on to estimate that fatal accidents are 13 percent higher in states without vehicle safety inspection programs than in states with such programs.

Nationally, the average age of passenger cars and light trucks combined is 11 years, according to data from Polk, and it has been rising steadily for the past 15 years. Steve Handschuh, president and COO of AASA, says AASA estimates $62 billion worth of vehicle maintenance was unperformed or underperformed in 2010, an amount that has also been increasing.