MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTION

AS ONE MEANS OF DESCREASING THE NUMBER OF MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS, SEVERAL STATES HAVE ADOPTED COMPULSORY MECHANICAL INSPECTION. THE EFFECT OF SUCH INSPECTION UPON THE ACCIDENT RATE IS ANALYZED. SEVERAL STATES, HAVING A TOTAL MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION OF ABOUT 7,000,000 VEHICLES, HAVE SUPPLIED MATERIAL FROM WHICH THIS STUDY HAS BEEN MADE. IT IS FOUND THAT ABOUT 6 PERCENT OF ALL VEHICLES REGISTERED WERE INVOLVED IN ACCIDENTS AND LESS THAN 1/4 OF ONE PERCENT OF THE VEHICLES WERE IN ACCIDENTS ATTRIBUTED TO MECHANICAL DEFECTS. ACCIDENT DATA ARE BASED UPON SUCH COLLISIONS AS ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO BE REPORTED, AND THESE DATA ARE ADMITTEDLY INSUFFICIENT. THE RECORD OF INSPECTION FOR SEVERAL YEARS IN A LARGE GROUP OF STATES SHOW A WIDE VARIATION IN THE CONDITIONS OF LIGHTS, BRAKES, STEERING, ETC, AND THAT THE CONDITION OF THE VEHICLES HAS NOT IMPROVED FROM YEAR TO YEAR. /AUTHOR/