What is checked during a vehicle safety inspection?

You're in the sixth hour of your 12-hour drive along the coast, driving down the interstate without a care in the world, and suddenly your car starts to rattle. Suddenly, your arrival time is in serious jeopardy.

Of course, this is a made-up story, because like any good car owner, you bring your car in for a regular inspection. But what is checked during a safety inspection? A safety inspection checks all the features of your vehicle that make it safe for road use. That means checking your tires, brakes, lights, mirrors and other things your vehicle needs to function properly and keep you and your passengers safe. So if you don't want to know what to do when your car breaks down, let's get into the finer points of a safety inspection.

 

What is a vehicle safety inspection?

It varies by state, but in general, a vehicle safety inspection is a regulatory inspection to ensure that vehicles are safe for road use. In some states, this inspection is required annually, while in others it only needs to be done before a vehicle is sold. In many states, an emissions test is also performed during each inspection to verify that your vehicle meets current EPA emissions standards.

 

What does a vehicle safety inspection include?

Vehicle safety inspections are performed by licensed automotive technicians at one of the DMV locations in your state. These technicians inspect your vehicle against a checklist of features that must be functioning properly to be considered safe. These include visibility features such as lights, horn and mirrors, steering and brakes, seat belts and tires. Technicians also look for obvious hazards such as fuel leaks, the presence of which can be a reason for a failed inspection. You can get a detailed car history report with full car check.

Below is a list of items that are checked during an inspection:

 

Tires

Tires are checked to determine if the tread is worn or if there are any dangerous defects such as dry rot, blisters or other damage. The technician will also check your spare tire to make sure it is ready to go in case you need it.

 

Brakes

Functioning brakes are one of the most basic requirements of a vehicle inspection. The technician will check for excessive wear on the brake pads and rotors and for brake fluid leaks. The emergency brake (or parking brake) will also be checked. If your brakes feel "spongy" or are otherwise slow to respond, consider having them checked or you may fail the inspection.

 

Lights

The ability to see and be seen on the road is critical to the safe operation of your vehicle. Every time your vehicle is inspected for safety, the headlights, taillights, hazard lights, turn signals, license plate lights and brake lights are checked. All of these lights must be working properly without being too dim.

 

Windshield

As part of the inspection, the windshield is often checked to ensure that visibility is not obstructed and that there are no cracks, chips or loose seals that could lead to major problems later.

 

Windshield Wiper

Along with your windshield, your windshield wipers can also be checked to make sure they are not forming streaks or otherwise not clearing the windshield. It should be noted that your vehicle requires windshield wipers for inspection. Full car check report will verify the car has not been written off, stolen, on finance and much more.

 

Mirrors

Without your rearview and side mirrors, you are effectively driving your vehicle with 180 degrees of blindness. If you can't see what's coming up behind you, you won't know when it's safe to change lanes or move to safety if necessary. Both your side mirrors and your rearview mirrors must be present and undamaged to pass inspection.

 

Seat belts

The automatic latch and retractor of the seat belts will be checked during the inspection to ensure the seat belts are functioning safely.

 

Steering and alignment

All steering components are checked during inspection to ensure nothing is loose or in danger of failing. Any failure of the steering during a turn could have catastrophic consequences, so any worn parts found during the inspection could cause the inspection to fail.

 

Suspension

Suspension ensures that your vehicle rides well on the bumpy, uneven roads of the world. The inspection technician will make sure none of your shocks are leaking or otherwise damaged. In this case, Full car check will tell you if a car is written off as it will decrease the market value.