Overview
The following four pillars are vital to roadway safety: 1) Safe Road Design, 2) Safe Motor Vehicles, 3) Qualified Drivers, and 4) Good Driving Decisions by motor vehicle operators. Elimination or minimization of any pillar negatively impacts roadway safety.
To ensure motor vehicles are safe for roadway operation, Missouri currently has 12,148 licensed inspector/mechanics at 3,860 official motor vehicle safety inspection stations across the state. All stations and inspector/mechanics voluntarily enrolled in the motor vehicle safety inspection program.
Numerous Technical Studies Confirm Effectiveness of Safety Inspections
Carnegie Mellon University Study (January 2022)
- "States with I/M programs have a lower fatality rate than those without."
- "Based on data from 50 states and Washington, D.C., over a 44-year period ... I/M programs have a negative and causal relationship with roadway fatalities. ... these programs are effective in their stated aim of mitigating roadway fatalities."
University of Texas Center for Transportation Research Study (October 2018)
- "Crashes involving vehicles with defects are twice as likely to result in a fatality than crashes with vehicles that do not have defects." (2017 statistics indicate 1:114 defective vehicles vs. 1:343 non-defective vehicles involved in crashes with fatalities.)
- The University of Texas study team recommended the state of Texas retain the inspection program for personal vehicles.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
April 2014: NHTSA released uniform guidelines for state highway safety programs, which stated, "Each state should have a program for periodic inspection of all registered vehicles to reduce the number of vehicles with existing or potential conditions that may contribute to crashes or increase the severity of crashes that do occur and should require the owner to correct such conditions."
From the Automotive Industry
Autocare Association Report (August 2020)
- In the 11 years following the elimination of South Carolina's safety inspection program, the state "experienced a 29.04% increase in traffic fatalities."
- The year following the elimination of Mississippi's safety inspection program, the state experienced an 11% increase in traffic fatalities.
Head-to-Head Comparison
NHTSA's 2020 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) indicates:
- Compared to the national average, states with vehicle inspections experience 9.7% fewer fatal crashes per 100 million miles traveled and 10.3% fewer deaths per 100,000 population.
- Compared to states without vehicle safety inspections, states with vehicle safety inspections experience 10.4% fewer fatal crashes per 100 million miles traveled and 21% fewer deaths per 100,000 population.
Auto Industry Factual Considerations
Numerous auto industry experts list the lifespan of safety-related components as:
| Component | Typical Lifespan |
|---|---|
| Ball joints | 70,000 miles |
| Brake calipers | 75,000 – 100,000 miles |
| Brake hoses | Up to six years |
| Brake pads | 40,000 miles |
| Brake rotors | 30,000 – 70,000 miles |
| Control arms | 80,000 – 100,000 miles |
| Tires | 60,000 – 75,000 miles |
| Wheel bearings | 85,000 – 100,000 miles |
Real-World Safety Defects Found During Missouri Inspections
Missouri's safety inspection program checks for defective components on vehicles to help ensure safer roadways. Examples of defects identified during inspections include:
- A driver had driven on a defective tire until the tire tread was completely gone
- A defective brake hose was located during inspection
- A fuel tank was found strapped to the vehicle using a ratchet strap
- An out-of-state vehicle brought to Missouri for repair showed extreme failure of braking components that was preventable through periodic inspections