Sb1588 to eliminate most vehicle inspections

[RHenriksen]

Hm - can someone enlighten me as to whether this bill just eliminates the 'safety inspection' component of the annual check, but leaves the smog test intact? If so, we're still trooping off annually to ensure compliance with smog, it's just the bald tires/turn signals/horn/etc that'll be dropped.

Kind of hard to expect LEO to have a portable dyno in their trunk to do rolling smog tests on the highway shoulder.

[rotor]

I wouldn't mind inspection check if I could get it done when I bring my car in for service but the new inspection checks have very few places to get it done, at least in my community. Virtually none of the dealers do a check. What used to be easy is now complicated. Last check I had found one defect, first time in over 25 years, a backup bulb out on the top of the cab on my 1997 F150. $2 fix.

At one time I kept a car at a second home. Ticketed while bringing it into the dealer to get an inspection sticker (at a time when dealers did it). DPS guy was really nasty too. Not one of the glowing LEO encounters that people brag about on this site. There were no safety issues , just a way to make money for the state. Made a formal complaint about DPS officer (Gestapo) to no avail.

[Abraham]

steveincowtown ,

I'm am denser than usual, I don't I understand you're point.

Are you saying, if someone pays for what's called 'uninsured motorist coverage' or something akin to that, like in my posted experience of an illegal crashing into me, my coverage shouldn't exist?

If so, I'm baffled.

Please, clue me in.

Thanks!

[carlson1]

Abraham she is legal. I love young people, but I find that some or most of the 20 year olds are trying to find a short cut to life.

It appears that folks go get insurance and pay the down payment and then never pay the premiums. Then the insurance company gis vest them a "proof of Insurance" card for six months. I did not know that was even possible. I know my cards are for six months, but I thought that was because I pay every six months.

[Abraham]

carlson 1,

I hear ya.

And, not all young people are without ethics or effort as my two Granddaughters are a testament to.

There are dead beats in every generation and great people in every generation.

Our military is made up of a lots of fantastic, hard working, ethical, goal oriented young people.

I do wonder and have no way of knowing, but I'll bet more farm and ranch kids are the most ethical and law abiding young people versus suburban and urban. Though I could be completely wrong about that, but I doubt it...

[steveincowtown]

steveincowtown ,

I'm am denser than usual, I don't I understand you're point.

Are you saying, if someone pays for what's called 'uninsured motorist coverage' or something akin to that, like in my posted experience of an illegal crashing into me, my coverage shouldn't exist?

If so, I'm baffled.

Please, clue me in.

Thanks!

If someone wants to run around uninsured they should not benefit from my insurance if I hit them. As the system sits today if:


#1> An uninsured person hits me and is at fault, my insurance pays.

#2> If I hit an uninsured person and it is MY fault, my insurance also pays.


My point is if someone isn't part of the insurance "system" they should receive no benefit from it.

[Abraham]

rotor,

Had you been an illegal he'd of let you go without further ado...only citizens get tickets.

If such a similar thing happens in the future,try speaking like Steve Martin, that wild and crazy guy.

Perhaps you won't pass as an obvious illegal, but you could adopt a faux-Moldovian accent and tell him you just arrived from the old country, 'wink wink', the hard way...across the Rio Grande and he'd probably just sigh and tell you to be on your way...sans ticket.

Why not?

It happens every day all across the country.

[TexasJohnBoy]

If someone wants to run around uninsured they should not benefit from my insurance if I hit them. As the system sits today if:


#1> An uninsured person hits me and is at fault, my insurance pays.

#2> If I hit an uninsured person and it is MY fault, my insurance also pays.


My point is if someone isn't part of the insurance "system" they should receive no benefit from it.

You don't carry good insurance, then you get no benefit from others. I got hit by an uninsured motorist once. Did the junk where you get a card and don't pay the premiums. My insurance tried to get them to cover it, but they blew some smoke about how the coverage for the other driver expired at 11:59PM the night before. So my uninsured motorist coverage kicked in.

Never have I driven, or will I drive, without insurance if I can help it. It's like the electricity or water, you have to have it.

[anygunanywhere]

I had a cop threaten to arrest me once because I raised a stink about the other driver not having insurance and the cop refused to give him a ticket. Baytown PD.

[der Teufel]

In the 1970's I was in the Army stationed in Northern Virginia. Virginia, at least at that time, had a requirement that insurance companies notify the state of all the persons they insured. If someone dropped their insurance, the state had to be notified. If someone dropped their insurance, the state sent someone out to confiscate their license plates. This was before everything was computerized. I don't see why this couldn't be done in Texas now, if there was the political will to do it.

[Abraham]

der Teufel,

Think: Austin - Houston - Dallas - ok, enough.

I won't give in to leftist nonsense.

Perhaps, we should all give up auto insurance, claim, it's like expensive man, and hey, you hit me, and my response: doesn't matter, the cops don't care, so why should I...? They won't do anything, so quit bothering me, I gotta a joint to smoke...

[steveincowtown]

In the 1970's I was in the Army stationed in Northern Virginia. Virginia, at least at that time, had a requirement that insurance companies notify the state of all the persons they insured. If someone dropped their insurance, the state had to be notified. If someone dropped their insurance, the state sent someone out to confiscate their license plates. This was before everything was computerized. I don't see why this couldn't be done in Texas now, if there was the political will to do it.

Same was true when I lived in Maryland. I had a car that I blew the engine on so I stopped paying the insurance. Sheriff showed up on a Saturday morning to collect the plates. I was young and a bit foolish and the time, so I was just happy he wasn't their to collect me!

[poppo]

Hm - can someone enlighten me as to whether this bill just eliminates the 'safety inspection' component of the annual check, but leaves the smog test intact? If so, we're still trooping off annually to ensure compliance with smog, it's just the bald tires/turn signals/horn/etc that'll be dropped.

Since there is no smog test in rural counties, I would say it all goes away. And I have never had my tires checked, or horn for that matter. Like others said, it's basically drive in, turn on lights, pay, go on your way. Waste of time and money.

[carlson1]

I do not know where all of you live, but the "smog test" is useless in DFW. There are too many cars I see that could past a smog test if it was a life and death situation.

[Bozz48]

I hope it passes. What a major pain every year to get both my vehicles inspected. Like I'm going to drive around with no blinkers, bad brakes, no tail lights, and bald tires. Of course, being in Williamson County, I'll probably still have to take them in for the emissions test.