COMPULSORY INSPECTION FAILS

Evening Star, Issue 22461, 5 October 1936, Page 13

COMPULSORY INSPECTION FAILS

. Ik view of the fact that consideration is being given the imposition of roadside tests to ascertain the mechanical condition of motor cars picked at random, an analysis of American statistics recently published in ‘ Automobile Industries 1 is interesting. In a number of American States periodic inspection of motor vehicles has been carried out by the police under various compulsory systems. Sufficient time has now elapsed to enable the results to be tabulated and analysed. As this engineering journal is noted for careful presentation of facts, the conclusions which it publishes as the result of such an analysis are worthy of special attention. First, it is stated that mechanical defects in general play a very small part as a factor in road accidents. Secondly, in States where compulsory mechanical inspection has been in progress there has been no consistent improvement, from year to year, in the mechanical condition of the vehicles inspected. Thirdly, mechanical inspection, presumably followed by the correction of any defects which were found, has not resulted in any reduction of the proportion of accidents attributed to mechanical failings. Many figures are given in support of these conclusions. It is, however, worth noting that of all the vehicles registered in the States concerned only 6 per cent, became involved in accidents in a period of several years. Of

those accidents which occurred only 3.2 per cent., were attributable to mechanical defects. This figure shows that, of all the vehicles registered those which were concerned in accidents where mechanical defects played a part amounted to one-fifth of 1 per cut.; say, two vhicles per 1,000. Is it reasonable to create elaborate machinery for the imposition of these tests when the chances of reducing accidents by this procedure are so slender?