The system of annual government inspection of cars for registration in the ACT is likely to be scrapped, following the removal of any political opposition.
A consultants’ report to the Department of Urban Services has recommended its replacement with a system of stronger random checking and checking on ownership transfer.
Independent Michael Moore said yesterday that annual inspections should be scrapped and the money used for more effective road-safety measures. He based his conclusion on a South Australian report saying checks could not be justified.
The Liberal Opposition called yesterday for the closure of one of the checking stations and the stopping of government annual inspections.
The department is to prepare a report for the Government. The Government will make up its mind after receiving that report.
The consultants recommend random checking of vehicles with random breath-testing and radar and perhaps separate random vehicle checking. They recommend checks in carparks, too, for obvious visual defects _ broken lights, crash damage, cracked windscreens and bad tyres. A notice would be put on the car requiring the owner to put it over the pits at the owners’ cost (about $30).
The new system would mean a third testing station would not be needed.
At present about 120,000 cars are checked each year _ cars over six years old and a five percent random sample of newer cars. The system costs $1.6 million a year.
The consultants say public vehicles should be tested as now.
The consultants included Terry Laidler, chair of the Victorian Road Safety Coordination Council; Professor Tony Richardson, director of the University of Melbourne Transport Research Centre; and former Commonwealth department head Bernie McKay.
They looked at a pilot study in the ACT of car defects and other Australian and international research, much of which suggested that few accidents were caused by car defects and that random checks were more effective.
Mr Moore estimated the total cost of inspections at $3 million, including waiting time. He cited a report by the Royal Automobile Association of South Australia as saying inspections did not correlate with lower accident rates in Australia or the US.
The Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Tony De Domenico, said the Dickson station should close. Philip could check public vehicles, trucks and exotic vehicles. Checks on cars would be done by private authorised garages.
Most accident-causing defects were tyres and breaks and so all cars should be checked annually because newer cars travelled more and were just as likely to have defective tyres and breaks. older cars were more likely to be second cars and less likely to go on long journeys. The ACT was the only place in Australia that had the annual trip over the pits. There were better ways to spend the money.
The Motor Trades Association of Australia called for a national system of authorised inspection outlets and annual inspections followed by a national system of vehicle registration which would be more efficient in tracing stolen vehicles and parts, collecting fines and for manufacturers’ recalls and would eliminate administrative duplication.
MTAA said the federal and state governments should investigate such a scheme.
Motorists’ associations in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland, however, oppose major changes to their systems and the NRMA has pointed to defects in the NSW garage-based scheme.