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The P.E.I. government is taking a look at the required frequency of motor vehicle inspections.
Right now, vehicles on P.E.I. need to be inspected every year, but in other provinces, like Nova Scotia, inspections are done every two.
Ernie Hudson, the province’s minister of transportation, said there are many things to consider as government does its review.
“I think the other thing we have to look at is insurance rates” and any impact MVI frequency would have on them, said Hudson.
A few weeks ago, Green Party MLA Peter Bevan-Baker asked government why safety inspections are done yearly. Bevan-Baker suggested P.E.I. shift to what other provinces are doing because the practice is causing a financial burden for drivers.
In Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, inspections are done every two years, and some provinces only do inspections at the time vehicles are sold from one owner to another.
Several automotive repair shops CBC News spoke with said annual inspections are about keeping older cars safe for Island roads.
“A car that passes inspection with no issues this year, there can be many issues that go wrong within a year: brake work, body work, many things,” said Ernie Stanley, who manages Coast Tire in Charlottetown.
A small spot of rust one year can turn into a hole over the next, he said.
Lots of things could happen depending on the mileage.– Ernie Stanley
Stanley is open to the idea of allowing leeway for brand new vehicles, but said it should be based on how much the car is driven, not the year it was manufactured.
“If a vehicle is a work vehicle that’s got 40,000 kilometres on it in one year… that should be inspected every year,” Stanley said.
“Lots of things could happen depending on the mileage that is put on the car.”
Cash grab?
While some drivers may think annual inspections are a cash grab, it’s more about safety than making money, said Doug Burke, a service advisor at Wendell Taylor’s Garage. An MVI on Prince Edward Island costs $30.
“[We] don’t really make money on MVIs from what I am aware,” said Burke. “I’m safety first. You have to make sure it is safe whether it is one-year-old, 10-years-old.”
If government is looking to update anything, it should consider its own safety criteria, he said. During an inspection, “Your horn needs to work, but your airbag doesn’t — I’m not a big fan.”
The review of annual inspections should be complete by mid-December, Hudson said.
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