Study finds fewer roadway fatalities in states with inspection programs

The Automotive Service Association (ASA) participated in a vehicle safety inspection briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. The briefing was hosted by CITA North America Regional Advisory Group and included a presentation of a new vehicle safety inspection study from Carnegie Mellon University.

CITA is an international organization dedicated to improving road safety and protecting the environment through vehicle safety inspection and emissions testing programs. ASA is a board member of the CITA North America Regional Advisory Group.

At the event, Dr. Scott Matthews presented the findings of the 2020 Carnegie Mellon University study on vehicle safety inspection programs in the United States. This study, which is titled “Safety I/M programs mitigate motorway fatalities: A study of the U.S. FARS dataset, 1975—2018,” was funded in part by CITA.

The study evaluated the 15 U.S. states that currently require periodic safety inspections on passenger vehicles and found there are 5.5 percent fewer roadway fatalities in states that have I/M programs on average. This translates to approximately 1,400 mitigated fatalities in 2018 due to vehicle inspection programs.

John Firm, ASA mechanical ops committee director, spoke virtually to the Capitol Hill attendees on the value of vehicle inspection and maintenance programs. Firm Automotive is located in Fort Worth, Tex, one of the 15 states that requires a periodic safety inspection for vehicles. In his remarks, Firm reiterated the importance of safety inspection programs, stating that something as simple as checking the tires or the brakes of a vehicle could keep a driver safe on the road.

Other meetings were held throughout the day to discuss the importance of vehicle safety inspection programs with Capitol Hill and U.S. Department of Transportation staff. Vehicle safety inspection programs will become increasingly important with the advent of advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles (AVs).

Cars on the road today are equipped with advanced safety features such as automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist systems and more, making them safer than ever. However, it will be essential that these advanced systems are regularly inspected to ensure they are working properly.

Watch the recording of the Vehicle Safety Inspection Program Briefing here.