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![handle is hein.gao/gaobaawjn0001 and id is 1 raw text is:
DCCUNENT R~ESUME
04529 - [B3554809]
Effectiveness of Vehic2.e Safety Inspections Neither Proven N-or
Unproven. CED-78-18; B-164497(3). ]December 20, 1977. 22 pp. + 4
appendices (5 pp.).
Report to the Congress; by Elmer B. Staats, Comptroller General.
Issue Area: Transportation Systems and Policies: Motor
Vehicle-highway Transportation System (2408).
Contact: Community and Economic Development Div.
Budget Function: Commerce and Transportation: Ground
Transportation (404).
Organization Concerned: National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration; Department of 7ransportation.
Congressional Relevance: House Comwittee on Public Works and
Transportation; Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation; Congress.
Authority: National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966
(15 U.S.C. 1381 et seq.). Highway Safety Act of 1966 (23
U.S.C. 40 et seq.). Motor Vehicle Information and Cost
Savings Act (15 U.S.C. 1961 et seq.). Highway Safety Act of
1976 (P.L. 94-280; 90 Stat. 451).
The Congress has a recommendation from the Department
of Transportation that it no longer require periodic motor
vehicle safety inspections in accordance with Federal standards
as part of each State's approved highway safety program. The
question of whether the Congress stoull iKe safety inspections
mandatory or optional in State highway programs has grown out of
a decade of coytroversy between the N.ional Highway Traffic
Safety Administration and many State., Findings/Conclusions:
Only three States reported full coipliance with the Federal
inspection quality standards as of July 1977. The Safety
Administration's threatened use of sanctions against State
highway programs not implementing the standards led to
confrontations and eventually created an atmosphere which led
the Congress tc temporarily lift the authority to impose funding
sanctions untii the Department of Iransportation studied the
adequacy and appropriateness or highway safeti projram
standards. Recommendations: Because vehicle defects can and do
cause highway accidents, possibly as many as 15% to 25%, and
because some types of defects, such as massive failure of
brakes, could lead to serious accidents, the Congress should:
reject the Department of Transortation's recommendation which
would make e-ompliance with the Federal vehicle safety inspection
standards optional; require the Department to modify the Federal
inspection standards to allow States flexibility in determiuing
the specific type of inspection prcgram best suited to their
highway needs; and direct the Department to undertake priority
research into the effectiveness of periodic inspection standards
for detecting and correcting vehicle Jefects before they lead to
accidents and coordinate this research with States to help](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.gao/gaobaawjn0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)