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TagsMVC pushing plan to only require cars be tested for emissions
BY ANGELA DAIDONE
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
Motorists in New Jersey may soon get some relief from something that's been annoying them for years.
Transportation officials say there is a plan in place to stop inspections of privately owned motor vehicles for mechanical defects, a move that could save the state $12 million a year, and save motorists hours of aggravation.
Motor Vehicle Commission Chief Administrator Raymond Martinez told lawmakers that the plan could take effect July 1, making New Jersey the 30th state that doesn't perform mechanical defect inspections.
Vehicles would still have to be tested for emissions, but only for vehicles that are at least five years old.
Martinez said less than 6 percent of vehicles are rejected for mechanical problems and that there is no conclusive evidence that eliminating mechanical inspections would lead to more traffic accidents, the Associated Press reported.
If the plan is enforced, the state would have to renegotiate the contract with Parsons Corp., which conducts the emissions and mechanical inspections, the AP reported. The firm is only two years into a five-year, $276 million contract.
New Jersey currently conducts more than 1.94 million initial vehicle inspections each year.
