A VESTIGE OF THE PAST
Maine was one of the first states to mandate periodic vehicle safety inspections, but the law has only undergone minor tweaks in the last 90 years.
In those days, one of the most popular cars on America’s roads was the Ford Model T and motor vehicle fatalities per mile traveled were about 8 times greater than in the 21st century. Cars have come a long way since then. Better technology and improved manufacturing processes have made cars more durable, reliable, and safer than ever. On top of that, myriad electronic sensors now warn drivers when systems malfunction, allowing repairs to be made before serious failures occur.
The dramatic changes in automotive performance and mounting evidence that inspections do little to enhance public safety have led many states to reconsider their inspection programs, as Table 2 shows.
