Key Issues & Policies
The issue
Safety inspections ensure that all cars on the road adhere to a “minimum safety standard,” particularly when it comes to components such as steering, suspension, brakes and tires. Why? Because vehicle components are key to safety: according to the National Highway Safety Administration, 35% of all motor vehicle crashes can be attributed to a vehicle component’s failure, particularly, tires or wheels. Another 22% are related to brakes. Consider that as vehicles age, their failure rates increase. Vehicles manufactured in 2009 or earlier have a 29% chance of a component failure. Knowing that the average age of vehicles today is 11.9 years and getting older (Source: 2021 Auto Care Factbook), that should be enough to reasonably be concerned about keeping vehicle inspections mandatory and current to ensure the safety of the motoring public.
Auto Care position
New tech in vehicles such as ADAS, connected and automated vehicles, embedded software and telematics create challenges with safety inspections as well as opportunities. While these technologies enable driver safety, comfort and convenience, they still require maintenance to ensure safe operation. An overview of these technologies can be found on our emerging technologies page and we are actively working to standardize the repair and calibration of these technologies to ensure the safety of drivers and access to these technologies for industry technicians. The connected car requires regular inspection, review and calibration to ensure systems are properly aligned and functioning properly.
Resources & toolkit
