We have now entered into another century where there are major thoroughfares, freeways with speeds in excess of 55 miles per hour, and cars that have the capability to travel in excess of 100 miles per hour. In spite of this, the vehicles safety has become a low priority with the automotive industry. In spite of a vehicle safety inspection, vehicles are leaving the assembly lines that are far from ready to be driven on the public highways. Many accidents are occurring because of faulty brakes, accelerator pedals becoming stuck, and cars disengaging from one gear and going into another just to name a few. All of these are part of the vehicles safety, yet the manufacturers don't want to accept responsibility unless they are forced by the government to do so.
Of course, this lack of vehicles safety is not entirely the manufacturers. Shouldn't the dealers take some responsibility as well? Just because the car has been delivered to their lot from the new car plant, shouldn't they take some responsibility for its safety before allowing a customer to remove it from the lot? A safety inspection by someone in the service department could eliminate some of these hazards on the road. Certainly there are some things that only show up when the car is driving such as brakes that lock and transmissions that disengage, but a test run by the dealer service staff could eliminate a few of these manufacturing defects.
There are also the states themselves who can take some of the responsibility. They and even the police force are responsible for performing a safety inspection to ensure the vehicles safety. In spite of this, we still have cars on the road with faulty brakes, bald tires, turn signals that don't work, broken horns, cracked windshields, and much more. It appears that both the police department and the Department of Motor Vehicles have higher priorities that vehicles safety, and as a result let things slide as a result. In Pennsylvania, the inspections are performed by a state certified service station, which makes one wonder if there is preferential treatment afforded to friends and relatives of the inspector. That isn't to say the same thing can't happen in states where the inspections are actually performed by the Department of Motor Vehicles, but with more employees performing the inspections, it reduces the risk of that happening.
In this technologically advanced world, is there a solution to this problem? Some of the vehicles safety issues are things that are missed by inspectors, so as a double check, perhaps a machine can be used to perform the safety inspection. Police officers need to be less lenient when they suspect a safety issue is present, and if they find they have a more pressing issue at hand, notate the license number or call for assistance. Certainly this won't always be possible; there will be times when speed is of the essence, and there won't be time to write down license numbers or to call for assistance, but the times when this will be possible can help with some of the accidents that are caused by safety-related issues.
As a motorist, the next time a police officer stops you because you have a light out, don't become irritated because he is only trying to prevent you from having an accident. Your vehicles safety has to be the most important thing on your mind, and if it isn't, you should not be driving.