A bill (HB 167) has been introduced to the Maine House that would require state-registered vehicles to undergo a bi-annual safety inspection, rather than Maine’s current annual safety inspection.

The Automotive Service Association has announced that while it supports vehicle safety inspection programs, it opposes HB 167 because the association believes the bill would weaken the safety inspection program.

If passed, the bill would require Maine residentes with state-registered vehicles to only have a safey inspection every two years.

“Each year, we see efforts to eliminate or harm vehicle safety inspection programs. Unfortunately, many lawmakers frame the inspection as an unnecessary tax or inconvenience, without regard to the potential harm ineffective brakes or other poorly maintained vehicle equipment can cause the motoring public,” said Bob Redding, ASA’s Washington, D.C., representative. “We only have 16 states with inspection programs. What this says is that the majority of states have no mechanism to encourage vehicle safety of the millions of vehicles traveling their highways.”