Share Pics of People Hauling or Towing Something Wrong

[buckeyefarmer]

We have an annual vehicle inspection. They check tires, brakes, lights, ball joints, etc. Gets the real clunkers off the road or repaired.

My sister has lived in SC and now OH. Both states without safety inspections. She said there cars on the road in those states you would not see in MA.

Ohio used to do random roadside inspections. Not sure if they still do.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

You know there are people that get around safeties, like knowing someone and get the old "lick and stick". I think the statistics would show that it is rare that people get hurt or killed because of unsafe vehicles. Used to be a time when you would get pulled over for a light out and have 48 hours to report to a POLICE station showing the repair. Way too reasonable for this day and age I guess.

They do that in MD. Ask my wife, lol. Was a PITA to find someone to get it signed off that the repair was done.

 

[Diggin It]

'Equipment Violations' are the trick here. They write you for a light out and cite you into Court. If you get the repair done, you can have an officer inspect it and the citation will be discarded. Not sure if there are any fees.

Some Deputies and Troopers have another trick up their sleeves though. They'll observe a vehicle they want to search looking for minor things like a bad license plate light. Once they make the stop, they'll waffletalk their way into 'consent' from the driver even if the driver isn't sure they agreed to it. Next thing they hear is the click of the cuffs. The officer already knows what's in the vehicle before the stop, they just don't want to bother with getting a search warrant.


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I did a bad one yesterday though. 4'x 8' HF type utility trailer loaded with some 2x6x14s, some other boards and 6 sheets of 13'6" metal roof panels. I don't think it was over weight, but with nearly 6' of metal hanging off the back, the COG was definitely behind the axle. When they slid it off the HiLo, the hitch jumped up enough to lift the back of the car. Strapped it all down and went on my way. Made it home fine.

 

[Jstpssng]

Years ago I worked landscaping with two brothers. Nels, the younger limped because his foot went through the rusted floorboards when his brother's pickup left the road. They said they didn't know what happened, it suddenly veered into the ditch.
On a later occasion the older brother said that our boss had given him a set of tube type tires for his truck. He didn't have any tubes but he aired them up and they held so he ran them that way. I didn't say anything but it's most likely the cause of the wreck.

 

[two_bit_score]

We don't have "Safety Inspections" here in MI and I would really like to see some evidence that the inspections in other states a) saves lives, b) reduces accidents, or c) actually makes the hyways safer.

I agree. Headlight aim is important.

Ironically, it was one of the first things dropped from MVI requirements years and years ago.

 

[two_bit_score]

'Equipment Violations' are the trick here. They write you for a light out and cite you into Court. If you get the repair done, you can have an officer inspect it and the citation will be discarded. Not sure if there are any fees.

Some Deputies and Troopers have another trick up their sleeves though. They'll observe a vehicle they want to search looking for minor things like a bad license plate light. Once they make the stop, they'll waffletalk their way into 'consent' from the driver even if the driver isn't sure they agreed to it. Next thing they hear is the click of the cuffs. The officer already knows what's in the vehicle before the stop, they just don't want to bother with getting a search warrant.


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I did a bad one yesterday though. 4'x 8' HF type utility trailer loaded with some 2x6x14s, some other boards and 6 sheets of 13'6" metal roof panels. I don't think it was over weight, but with nearly 6' of metal hanging off the back, the COG was definitely behind the axle. When they slid it off the HiLo, the hitch jumped up enough to lift the back of the car. Strapped it all down and went on my way. Made it home fine.

Pre textural stops are done all the time and if the defense can actually prove it they can get the contraband excluded. It's pretty hard to do and I'm not really against it in most cases if done 'properly'.

 

[hawkeye08]

I tried to aim the headlights on my Silverado to compensate for the weight of my snowsled on back, but there's no adjustment. As for inspection stickers; it would be more effective if they did to everyone what they do to commercial drivers; set up roadside checks which everyone is required to go through. It will never happen though, as people would never put up with the delays.
The town that I grew up in had "routine safety checks" which was simply an excuse to pull a kid over and check him out for no obvious reason. Somebody eventually took it to court and they were ruled illegal.

Don't know what year your Silverado is, but you should be able to adjust them. Easily Adjust Headlights - 2�14 GMC Sierra - YouTube shows 2014 GMC Sierra adjustment...

I plan on figuring out how many turns is needed on mine to handle when I am pulling trailer vs empty and then be able to quickly move between the two settings. I would even put a label next to adjustment hole with instructions so I don't have to remember... just another thing on my long list of want to do..

 

[Oaktree]

We don't have "Safety Inspections" here in MI and I would really like to see some evidence that the inspections in other states a) saves lives, b) reduces accidents, or c) actually makes the hyways safer.

I dunno...I'd like to know that the vehicle coming the other way has working brakes, a front end that doesn't have 3" of slop in it, no holes in the floor that someone could fall thru (let alone allow CO in), etc.

I really could do without the emissions part of the inspection though. When they first instituted it here in N.H. there were only 10 communities that had to comply...Nashua and surrounding towns IIRC. At some point they required it state-wide. I see it primarily as a revenue source for the DMV.

 

[LD48750]

I dunno...I'd like to know that the vehicle coming the other way has working brakes, a front end that doesn't have 3" of slop in it, no holes in the floor that someone could fall thru (let alone allow CO in), etc.

I really could do without the emissions part of the inspection though. When they first instituted it here in N.H. there were only 10 communities that had to comply...Nashua and surrounding towns IIRC. At some point they required it state-wide. I see it primarily as a revenue source for the DMV.

Well..... thats the point, we don't have a problem with any of that here in MI.
Just what does all these inspections accomplish other then cost drivers big money?

 

[Jstpssng]

Well..... thats the point, we don't have a problem with any of that here in MI.
Just what does all these inspections accomplish other then cost drivers big money?

At the very least, once a year people demonstrate that they have working brakes, halfway decent tires, semi solid frame, and their front end isn't about ready to fall apart.
In a perfect world it wouldn't matter, but some people don't have a clue how to keep their vehicle safe; while others just don't care.