Safety Inspections Passe
Tulsa World
Letter to the Editor
3/26/2002
Occasionally somebody complains about unsafe cars and suggests that we
should bring back mandatory safety inspections. But there is little reason
to believe that safety inspections prevented accidents.
If they are such a good idea, anyone can go to a mechanic and get an
inspection without a law. Insurance companies could offer incentives by
offering lower rates to people who maintained inspections.
Will insurance companies actually do this? Only if it can be
statistically shown that safety inspections do, in fact, help prevent
accidents.
Either way, a mandatory system cannot be justified. It's wrong to
require it if it doesn't do any good, and it's unnecessary to require it
if it is worthwhile.
We should let the police concentrate on protecting us from real crimes.
Increasingly, the police are expected to act as our nannies, instead of as
our protectors. In the case of safety inspections, let us not repeat this
mistake.
Michael A. Clem, Tulsa
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