Texas senators voted 20-11 in favor of ending vehicle safety inspections. Some Republican lawmakers have tried for years to shut down the state’s inspection program, saying inspections are an inconvenience to drivers and do not improve road safety.
Sen. Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas) urged his colleagues to keep inspections, saying lives are at stake. Johnson pointed to a new American Society of Civil Engineers study that found inspection programs have reduced car crash deaths across the country. States that have vehicle safety inspections have 5.5% fewer fatalities per year than states that don’t have inspection programs.
Even if the inspections go away, the state will still get your money. The current bill would simply convert the $7.50 inspection fee the state collects to a new charge drivers would pay when they register their cars.
