The safety inspection process being discontinued isn't going to change the vehicle equipment laws at all. Everything will remain the way it is, it will just now be up to the patrol officer to enforce these laws rather than the individual at the garage.
After speaking with a mechanic friend of mine (own's his own shop) he told me that quite a few of his customers have requested that he continue to do inspections for those who want them. Personally I think it is a great idea. I do the vast majority of my own mechanical work and I am very strict about things when it comes to my vehicles, but occasionally I miss things that are caught during an inspection. Good law or bad law who knows, but I for one intend to have my mechanic perform yearly inspections on my vehicles at registration time.
I mostly agree, I hope that they offer a cheap safety check when doing emissions.
I can think of one time a shop failed my car for a power steering leak, which they shouldn't have. I replaced the rack and pinion and realized that I really did need a new rack and pinion. (btw they should have failed me for excessive steering wheel play) The only thing I am really worried about is all the bald tires out on that first snow storm of the year, it is bad every year, but now with no mechanics telling people "no really you need new tires before you can register your car" I think I will stay home the first few storms...
Oh wait that doesn't have anything to do with flares and flaps...
I am considering leaving the mud flaps off my jeep to see if I ever get pulled over, but really I don't want to crack anyone's windshield so I will probably have them on all the time...
Nathan
