The annual tradition of visiting an auto mechanic to get an inspection sticker could come to an end if a group of Republican lawmakers succeed in repealing Maine’s auto inspection requirement.
Under a bill introduced by Rep. Ann Fredericks (R-Sanford), the mandatory safety inspection requirement would be repealed for the majority of cars that are driven by Mainers on a daily basis.
“Other states have already abolished this antiquated requirement that is an inconvenience,” Fredericks said.
From Frederick’s perspective, advancements in safety standards and auto-making technology mean that annual inspections should no longer be necessary for most personal vehicles, as they’ve become more of a nuisance than a guarantor of public safety.
The bill would not alter inspection rules for commercial vehicles, trailers, semitrailers, and fire trucks, according to the official summary of the legislation.
LD 320 was cosponsored by Sen. Jeff Timberlake (R-Androscoggin), Rep. Donald J. Ardell (R-Monticello), Rep. Lucien J.B. Daigle (R-Fort Kent), Rep. Aaron M. Dana (Passamaquoddy Tribe), Rep. Timothy C. Guerrette (R-Caribou), Rep. Thomas A. Lavigne (R-Berwick), and Rep. Reagan L. Paul (R-Winterport).
Less than half of states nationwide currently have mandatory safety inspection policies in place. Although emissions testing is somewhat more common, it is still not a universal practice.
Among the states that do require regular safety inspections, some mandate that they be conducted annually — as is currently the case in Maine — while others are only every two years.
Supporters of these regular inspections argue that they help to keep poorly maintained and unsafe vehicles off the road, but some evidence suggests that they may not have a substantial impact.
A 2021 report published by the Maine Policy Institute found that between 2015 and 2019, only 3 percent of car accidents involved mechanical difficulties.
Under state law, it is already a Class E crime to operate a “defective vehicle,” meaning that inspection stickers are not the only mechanism for deterring drivers from taking unsafe cars on the road.
Despite this, Maine police have previously pushed back against efforts to repeal the law, arguing that the inspections provide a safety net allowing for problems to be identified and corrected in a timely manner.
Some critics, on the other hand, have said that the system opens the door for dishonest mechanics to charge drivers for unnecessary repairs.
Having been on the books since 1930, this is not the first time that lawmakers have attempted to repeal the requirement for annual safety inspections, nor has this necessarily been a partisan issue.
For example, in 2021, Sen. Dave Miramant (D-Camden), proposed eliminating yearly inspections for cars less than twenty years old.
That bill never made it to a floor vote, however, after being unanimously rejected by the 130th Legislature’s Transportation Committee.
LD 320 has now been referred to the 132nd Legislature’s Transportation Committee where it will eventually receive a public hearing, although one has not yet been scheduled.
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Disclaimer: The Maine Wire is a project of the Maine Policy Institute.
