What's happening
This bill requires vehicles to fail safety inspections if anti-lock brake or airbag warning lights are on, or if license plates are obscured by covers.
Why it matters
Mandates immediate repair of critical safety systems. By requiring vehicles to fail inspection if anti-lock brake or airbag warning lights are on, the bill ensures that dangerous malfunctions can't be ignored, increasing the likelihood that owners will address potentially life-saving repairs before returning to the road.
Reduces risk of fraudulent or obscured identification. The failure of vehicles with illegible license plates (due to tinting, shading, or defects) at inspection aims to deter attempts to avoid detection by traffic cameras or law enforcement, which could help reduce toll evasion and enhance public safety.
Strengthens inspection standards for modern vehicles. The bill eliminates previous language that allowed airbag system failures to pass inspection, reflecting advances in vehicle safety technology and aligning inspection standards with current best practices for passenger protection.
Potentially increases repair costs and inconvenience. By tightening inspection criteria, the law may result in more vehicles failing inspections for issues that were previously overlooked, potentially increasing out-of-pocket costs and downtime for vehicle owners who must address these newly enforced safety requirements.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Stricter Vehicle Inspection Rules
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Fail Cars With Bad Airbags
In Senate Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Joseph A. Griffo
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7893
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 18, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. DenDEKKER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the inspection of anti-lock brake system warning lights; tinted, shaded or obscured license plate covers; and supplemental restraint system air bags during the required periodic inspection of motor vehicles
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subparagraphs (a) and (b) of paragraph 1 of subdivision (c) of section 301 of the vehicle and traffic law, subparagraph (a) as amended by chapter 444 of the laws of 2016 and subparagraph (b) as added by chapter 161 of the laws of 1996, are amended to read as follows:
[(a)] A safety inspection shall be made with respect to the brakes; anti-lock brake system warning lights; steering mechanism; tinted, shaded or obscured license plate covers; supplemental restraint system airbags; wheel alignment; lights, including but not limited to the lights which are designed and placed on a vehicle for the purpose of illuminating the vehicle's license plates; odometer; tire pressure; seat safety belts; shoulder harness safety belts; any window which is composed of, covered by or treated with any material which has a light transmittance of less than seventy percent pursuant to section three hundred seventy-five of this title and such other mechanisms and equipment as shall be determined by the commissioner to be necessary for proper and safe operations. Such inspection shall also be made with respect to vehicle identification number. Upon inspection, the mileage appearing on the odometer shall be recorded upon the inspection sticker. If a vehicle's anti-lock brake system warning light is on, it shall be considered grounds for the vehicle to fail the safety inspection provided in this paragraph. If a vehicle's license plate is illegible because of tinting, shading or defect it shall be considered grounds for the vehicle to fail the safety inspection provided in this paragraph. If
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11734-01-7
A. 7893 2
a vehicle's supplemental restraint system airbag warning light is on, it shall be considered grounds for the vehicle to fail the safety inspection provided in this paragraph.
[(b) In the case of any passenger car manufactured on or after September first, nineteen hundred ninety-seven, during the course of the vehicle safety inspection, the readiness of the inflatable restraint system, by means of the readiness indicator, shall be noted on the invoice supplied to the consumer. The system's lack of readiness shall not be considered grounds for the vehicle to fail the safety inspection provided for in subparagraph (a) of this paragraph.]
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date is authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.