Safety standards though the world.

kiwitony

kiwitony

Senior Member
Hi Guys, I thought I'd start a post on various countries vehicle testing. On a recent post[Bendix verses Lockheed] it came up. In New Zealand we have a 6 monthly test no matter the millage since last test. It covers brakes ,lights, suspension, door locks,tyres etc. I've even been failed on oil leaks which I strongly argued over saying an 80 year old car will leak. I now wipe underneath before going for the WOF {warrant of fitness]. In the UK I know you have the MOT very similar to ours.In Australia no annual tests but must be up to scratch if stopped by a cop, or when sold, so I believe . The US seems to vary state to state. Interested to hear your thoughts and also do these tests make things really safer. Cheers Tony.
 
Reasonable safety checks make sense. Trouble is when it becomes a "money grab".
No inspections in FL.
 
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No inspections for anything here in Georgia. To get a license plate on an old vehicle, you only need a bill of sale and proof of insurance. Absolutely no safety checks or concern of being roadworthy from the government. The burden of liability is carried by the owner and his insurance company.
 
here in the UK, up until a few years ago, it was an annual MOT (Ministry of Transport) test for all vehicles. Then anything pre 60 became MOT exempt, which made it easier for me, but some people still have their cars tested voluntarily. Just last month, the rules were changed again to make anything 40 years old MOT exempt.

Obviously it is still the responsibility of the owner (or driver) to make sure the vehicle is fully roadworthy.

The other thing is what we call road tax. Some time ago, anything 25 years old became exempt from road tax. This rolled on for a few years until it was locked down at pre 72. When pre 72 cars became 40 years old, it became a rolling 40 years old cutoff for road tax.

The recent change in the MOT exemption rules brought the 40 year cutoff for both tax and MOT in line.

I am preparing to do some welding on my son's 1982 Mini. It is neither tax or MOT exempt and the MOT is due later this month, so I have to bring it up to a roadworthy state. In 2022 it will become both tax and MOT exempt.

Mart.
 
There used to be state inspections here, pretty basic; lights working, required equipment, decent tires, etc. As I recall it was $10. But people whined that it discriminated against people who couldn't afford to keep their cars in good shape. Huh?! So they rescinded the law, now there are people driving around with cars that are held together with a hope and a prayer. I saw one on the road the other day that had clearly been in an accident, No grille or headlights, and the passenger had gone halfway thru the windshield.
 
Just a biennial smog control inspection in California, with variations for age and model of car.
 
For my avatar which I purchased out of state all I had to do was have the VIN verified and proof of insurance.................and then they said $200 please!!
 
There are no inspections in Kansas that I am aware of, but the police do enforce the laws for any violations. I lived in Texas for a short time and far as I could tell it was a total scam. Had a new 68 Torino, maybe two months old, and they wanted it inspected. Then come up with all kind of things to charge you for in order to get an inspected sticker. Soon learned that you can get around the inspections if you know/pay the right people.
 
Illinois had vehicle inspections, but I think they ended that program in the early ‘50’s. I have heard from old timers that a couple bucks left on the seat took care of anything. Commercial vehicles do get safety checks, private individuals operate those and some even have trucks with the equipment that will come to you for the check at a scheduled time and no wait in line.
We do have emissions checks, every two years and if the vehicle doesn’t pass then you cannot renew your license plates until repair and re-test is performed. No way to grease a palm with this, the equipment performs the checks.
On a different note I’ve seen our State Police set up portable scales at random places to check trucks for overweight. They will flag over trucks by choice and weigh and give them a quick safety check.
 
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Fordors said:
We do have emissions checks, every two years and if the vehicle doesn’t pass then you cannot renew your license plates until repair and re-test is performed. No way to grease a palm with this, the equipment performs the checks.
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Unless it's a VW! :confused:
 
5851a said:
I think it must be a money thing, how much do those 6 month checks cost you?
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It varies but about NZ$ 50 ie about US$35 last time I looked at the exchange rate. So not really a money thing . Some of my veterans will do 100 miles or less between inspections but still things are ocassionally picked up that need fixing that I have missed.
Modern cars require only a yearly inspection

We also have a national accident scheme that is incorporated in our yearly registration cost. This means in the event of an accident all your medical treatment as well as rehab and living support and that of any other involved parties is covered by this insurance (up to the rest of your life if required) This effectively means no suing . For cars over 30 years old registration is 1/2 price ie about US $80/year
 
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JSeery said:
Unless it's a VW! :confused:
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Yeah, they beat the system with crooked software. That is until an international group of scientists figured out what was up. It was a bit different then me passing, say a $50 bribe, it cost them billions in a massive recall, their stock plummeted, sales dropped like a rock, over $4 billion in fines, charges brought on six officials, and in addition the former CEO was indicted on fraud and conspiracy charges in the US last month.
Serves ‘em right.
 
I live north of Brainerd, Minnesota and when I go to town, I pass an abandoned industrial plant on the east end of town. There are literally thousands of new VW's and Audi's parked on the grounds. It's kind of mind-boggling. And this isn't the only site; I saw an aerial picture of someplace on the west coast, and it was new cars almost as far as the eye can see. When you realize how many cars they have stock-piled and the fact that they are still in the car business gives you some scale of their operation.
 
Two more things in New Zealand...motor vehicle insurance is not compulsory here. There are lots of uninsured vehicles on the road.
In my opinion, third party insurance as a minimum should be mandatory.
Heavy vehicles don't undergo the WoF checks; rather they have a more stringent check, Certificate of Fitness.
 
IMHO car inspection of cars less than 10 years old is a waste of time and money. Makes money for inspection stations and the state. What a waste! The biggest sham is the "emissions" test. They check you don't have a check engine light for $25.
 
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Wow, the insurance thing is interesting! In the U.S. (at least Kansas) you are required to carry liability insurance that covers any damage you cause. Comprehensive insurance is optional, but if you have any type of lean on a vehicle the lean holder will require it.
 
Brian said:
Two more things in New Zealand...motor vehicle insurance is not compulsory here. There are lots of uninsured vehicles on the road.
In my opinion, third party insurance as a minimum should be mandatory.
Heavy vehicles don't undergo the WoF checks; rather they have a more stringent check, Certificate of Fitness.
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I agree Third party should be mandatory. Also the ACC (accident insurance) sounds better than it really is - Karl
 
In New Jersey there is no safety type of check. Emissions only, and that doesn't apply to any car that doesn't have a code reader.


Insurance mandatory
 
Like stated earlier Georgia no longer does inspections, the problem was station doing the inspection wasn't paid enough to do it. It was a waste of time, by the time the state stopped the station operator would look at the tires and brake lights and then apply the sticker. For $10 they were supposed to pull all wheels and check the brakes, check headlight alignment, brake lights and turn signals. Also was required to put the vehicle on the rack and check the muffler and exhaust system.
 
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