Mandatory inspections would benefit everyone. Every vehicle owner should be required to have a full mechanical inspection of their road vehicle every 6 or 12 months, depending on the type of vehicle, in order to obtain a compliance sticker confirming the vehicle’s safety. This mandatory inspection is a way to ensure that vehicles on the road remain safe at all times for all road users.

Unfortunately, this regulation does not apply to the majority of vehicles that enter our service bays. It targets taxis, emergency vehicles, heavy trucks, and a few others. What does that omission mean for us? That we have to keep our eyes and ears in inspection mode every time a vehicle enters our shop.

Road safety is part of our responsibility as professionals, and it’s our duty to inform the owner about the condition of their vehicle. Once informed, all we can do is hope they take the potential consequences of an unsafe vehicle seriously.

Alarming Cases

Vehicle safety came to mind for this article after a repair earlier this spring. A new client brought us a pickup truck for a fuel leak, and once it was up on the lift, we discovered the dreadful condition of its frame.

 

How could a vehicle this rusty still be on the road? I don’t see them every week, but I’m still surprised by how many there are. Ball joints just waiting for one last pothole to pop out of their sockets, brake lines rusted to the strength of my last slice of Swiss cheese, dashboards lit up like a Christmas tree, and engines and transmissions barely managing to hold on to what little fluid and lubricant they have—sometimes you wonder if there’s more on the outside than inside.

Every morning, I have the pleasure of seeing my daughter drive past my shop. And every time she does, I try to convince myself that one day, our government will implement a mandatory vehicle inspection program, so that she can keep driving safely for many years to come.

So why not close with that catchy slogan Katherine Levac repeats in those SAAQ ads: “ Road Safety-I’m in.” My shop is on board—and no doubt, yours is too.