Dear Representative Spillane:
I would agree with you that the current laws surrounding annual vehicle inspection stickers in New Hampshire could definitely use some “modifications”, so to speak, I think we do need to have some safety measures in place for the protection of pedestrians and other motorists on our state’s streets and highways.
It’s bad enough that it is NOT a requirement for a NH resident to have insurance on their vehicle(s), I think we definitely need some type of assurances that the vehicle we’re driving alongside, or passing by, have well maintained brakes, tires, lights, windshield wipers, horn, etc.
I do feel, however, that some of these vehicle maintenance facilities that distribute vehicle inspection stickers ought to be seriously investigated and better regulated by government officials, such as yourself. Several years ago, I personally experienced this situation when one of these shyster facilities in Hudson, screwed me over for “supposedly” needing four (4) brand new tires due to the fact that just one of my tires had microscopic cracks in the sidewall. To read more details of my particular situation, log onto this link:
So in the event Mr. Spillane that your fellow legislators don’t support your recent (or current) proposal to completely eliminate the annual vehicle inspection stickers, would you respectfully consider amending (or resubmitting) your Bill to include the following:
1) Right to Appeal a Failure: So if a motorist goes to one of these facilities during their Birthday month, and the vehicle winds up being “Failed” – What options does that motorist have? If they tried to take the maintenance facility to Small Claims Court, you probably won’t get a case scheduled for about 4-5 months down the road (at least in the Nashua area). By that time, your inspection sticker will have long expired and you’ll be driving your vehicle illegally – is that fair? In my particular situation with Monro Muffler, they ONLY told me that they could put four new tires on my car, right then and there, for a mere $600 or so. They NEVER informed me of any right I may have had to appeal its decision to Fail my car. Perhaps New Hampshire should initiate a new Court system specifically to hear appeals on vehicle inspection sticker “failures”.
2) Right to a Second Opinion (or, why is a “Failure” locked into a computer network system?): When I had “failed” on my inspection sticker with Monro Muffler, I discovered it had entered my vehicle into a computer network (or Red Flagged it) stating the reason why they failed it – What authorized these shysters to do that? Why couldn’t I have the opportunity to have another “certified” NH facility to view my car and see if they too would agree that it “required” to get four brand new tires? It just seems like the State Rep who originally designed the legislation governing annual inspection stickers actually owned one of these vehicle maintenance facilities, knowing that they’d pocket a ton of money in the long run.
3) Why can’t the annual inspection sticker fee be just ONE STATEWIDE DOLLAR AMOUNT?: After talking to numerous Granite Staters about how I got ripped-off from Monro Muffler on my inspection sticker several years back, everybody then advised me to stay the heck away from car dealerships, and chain maintenance franchises, like Monro Muffler, which more often than not, seem to offer inspection stickers for like $10 or less – but then these rip-off artists are more inclined to “Fail” you for the most trivial type things and you’ll find yourself owing several hundred, maybe even several thousand, dollars just to get an inspection sticker. So why not put ALL “certified” NH vehicle inspection sticker facilities on the SAME LEVEL PLAYING FIELD when it comes to the price of these things? If nothing else, it’ll help NH resident from being unwittingly lured into a facility offering a lower price but, realistically, setting them up for a royal screwing.
Hey, don’t get me wrong, Rep. Spillane, if you’re successful on your bid to totally eliminate annual NH vehicle inspection stickers, that’ll work just fine for me as well. I’ll personally do anything and everything to keep my own vehicle safe and protective for me and my family, as well as pedestrians and other motorists. And, of course, keep a close eye on other motorists who might be driving on bad brakes or flimsy tail lights.
But if you need to do a little politicking or compromising to get your Bill through, I sure hope you consider some, if not all, of my suggestions here. Good luck, sir, and I’ll be carefully watching how this Bill proceeds through our State legislature.
One Bad Decision Away From Homelessness 
February 17. 2015
Another View — Bill Gurney: Annual auto inspections keep our roads safe
ONE QUICK glance outside at the road conditions nowadays offers a pretty good reason why drivers must have vehicles in proper shape to deal with the elements. That is why I am particularly troubled by a proposal to eliminate annual vehicle safety inspections in New Hampshire, House Bill 387.
Rep. James Spillane, R-Deerfield, recently explained his reasons for why we should drop the requirement. His argument can be boiled down to two points:
1. These inspections do nothing to make our roads safer.
2. This is an infringement of our citizens’ liberties.
I own an auto repair facility, and as such, I have a vested interest in this proposal. But it is not for the reasons Rep. Spillane suggests. He argues that for people like me, this is all about collecting as many $35-$50 inspection fees as possible to make profits. That is not at all why I support the current annual inspections.
Despite his claim that “yearly vehicle inspections do not increase the safety of our roads,” there is a great deal of data that suggest otherwise. The Institute for Research in Public Safety and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration both report that mechanical defects and/or worn equipment on vehicles was the cause or a major factor in 12.6 percent of crashes. More than 850,000 accidents could have been avoided. Studies also show that New Hampshire has some of the most severe winter weather road conditions in the country, even if we have less snowfall than some.
Think about that for a moment. In our nation, we could have avoided hundreds of thousands of accidents if people took better care of their vehicles.
Here is another way of looking at the inspections: pay now or pay later. There are no cheap fixes with cars and trucks, but there are certainly far more expensive fixes if you let things go. For example, a steering or suspension component repair can cost $100 and up. But if you have a failure of this component and it causes other parts to be replaced, depending on the vehicle, your bill just got much larger.
People will save a great deal of money in the long run if they take care of problems before they become equipment failures.
On a practical level, Rep. Spillane’s arguments about our improved technology in vehicles would be a great argument against annual inspections if that technology made a bit of difference with regard to basic maintenance.
Drivers can have the latest computer-assisted, high-tech, fuel-efficient vehicles, but brake pads, rotors, light bulbs, steering components and tires wear out just as quickly as they did years ago, and in some cases quicker.
Every year, at least 20 percent of all 1.5 million New Hampshire vehicles fail inspection for common things like brakes and tires. Imagine what that rate would become if we stopped inspecting cars and trucks every year.
There is a practical reason for this law, and it is all about basic safety. The statistics show it, but common sense applies here as well. Common sense says the roads will be less safe if we pass this bill. That same common sense exists in all of our neighboring states, which have annual vehicle safety inspection programs.
Rep. Spillane cites the “removal of liberty” as a reason why we should drop these inspections. He seems to suggest a government plot to force people to do this business, as if it is a profit-scheme designed to just rip people off.
I would humbly submit that driving is not a constitutional right; it is a privilege. As such, there are rules all of us must follow to maintain the highest possible level of safety on the roadways. Our state requires a proper license and a test before getting a driver’s license. If you take out a loan for a vehicle, you must have proper insurance. If you break rules, you risk being fined.
Proper maintenance to keep your vehicle safe is one of those rules.
Some do not like the annual inspection process; it is just another bill on the horizon. But the list of items we review on each vehicle is a critical component to its safe operation. Why in the world would we turn a blind eye to safety? If this program helps save one life, then I say it is worth it!
I urge state lawmakers to reject House Bill 387, just as they have done for the last several attempts at this dangerous legislation.
(Bill Gurney owns Gurney’s Automotive Repair in Nashua and Milford.)
See more at: http://www.unionleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20150218/OPINION02/150219204/0/Will%20Sarah%20Palin%20still%20enter%20the%20GOP%20race#sthash.lq1zT5r9.dpuf