A New Hampshire bill that would make state inspections optional on new cars for at least two years passed the House, but was deferred by a state Senate panel, reports the Keene Sentinel.
Though House Bill 1391 passed the House 219-145, the state’s Senate Transportation Committee made a unanimous recommendation for further study to be conducted on the matter before next year’s legislative session.
The recommendation came after more than 90 minutes of testimony, in which voices for and against the bill made their thoughts heard.
State Rep. Matthew Coker, R-Meredith, the sponsor of the bill, cited his own experience purchasing a new truck and having to have it inspected around the time of purchase, and then again only seven months later, due to state law requiring an inspection to be done within 10 days of registering the vehicle.
Coker also claimed that there isn’t enough data to support the usefulness of requiring inspections, and accused business interests of being a factor in why the inspections remain.
“If you had a government-mandated program that forced people to come to your business every year, regardless of whether they need to go or not, that’s pretty nice,” Coker remarked.
Sen. Denise Ricciardi, R-Bedford, cited her own recent experience having her car break down on the side of the road. Though she admitted the law should be changed to avoid situations like Coker’s, she said drivers are often made aware of safety recalls because of those inspections.
Repair shop owners and dealership representatives attested to the need for inspections, citing New Hampshire’s harsh weather conditions as a result of snow, ice, and road salt.
“A lot of other states don’t spray liquid saltwater on their roads that then gets on the undercarriage of cars and then erodes metal and cable and hoses,” explained Dan Bennett of the N.H. Automobile Dealers Association.
