WASHINGTON, D.C. – MEMA recently weighed in on Missouri House Bill 1444, which if enacted would eliminate the vehicle inspection program in that state. In a letter sent to all members of the Missouri House of Representatives, Bill Long, president & chief operating officer of the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA), stated “As you know, neglecting routine maintenance and ignoring the replacement of vehicle safety components is dangerous for the motoring public. Annual inspection programs maintain the safety of vehicles by keeping vehicles that do not pass inspection and are unsafe off streets and highways.”
The letter goes on to state that the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) has recommended that each state implement a vehicle safety inspection program, and that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) confirmed that officials 15 states with inspection programs (along with 4 states with periodic inspection programs) attest to the effectiveness of vehicle safety inspections in improving safety and reducing collisions. Long concluded the letter by pointing out that safety inspections are becoming more important as consumers are keeping vehicles longer, and that AASA estimates there was $ 66 billion worth of vehicle maintenance underperformed in 2013.
MEMA has actively been involved in opposing other state bills to eliminate vehicle inspection programs; similar bills have died in Louisiana, Texas and West Virginia, and in New Hampshire legislation is still pending. MEMA also has supported recent legislation to maintain vehicle inspection programs in New Jersey, and require an inspection program in South Carolina.The Missouri House Rules Committee passed House Bill (HB) 1444 on April 10 with a vote of 7 to 4. If enacted, HB 1444 would repeal Missouri’s vehicle safety inspection program.
