ANNUAL AUTO INISPECTIONS HELP MAINTAIN HIGHWAY SAFETY

A state senator from tiny Tarkio in the northwest corner of the state thinks the annual auto inspections required for licensing vehicles that are more than two years old in Missouri is a nuisance. In his own colorful way, Sen. Sam Graves thinks the inspections are "a pain in the butt." More than that, Graves thinks the inspections serve no useful purpose.

Since 1969, Missourians have had to take their vehicles to an authorized inspection station -- usually a service station or auto repair shop -- to be checked for defects that might result in safety problems. The inspections currently cost $7.

Statistics from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, which oversees the inspection process, show that the annual checks do, indeed, find safety problems and head off dangerous situations when vehicles are on the road.

Each year some 4.3 vehicles are inspected in the state, says Capt. Clarence Greeno of the highway patrol. And 1.1 million defects are spotted, mainly problems with lights, brakes or exhaust systems.

Graves' effort to do away with the inspections was tacked on to a bill that would allow police to stop motorists who aren't wearing seat belts. This would stiffen the existing law, which currently allows police to write seat belt tickets only if a motorist is stopped for another violation. Presumably, the intent of the tougher seat belt enforcement is to improve safety.

It is hard to imagine why Graves would vote for the seat belt change while advocating the elimination of auto inspections -- unless, of course, his real intent is to scuttle the seat belt law entirely.

It is true that there have been complaints from time to time about repair-happy auto inspectors who take advantage of vehicle owners, encouraging them to pay for parts and labor that may not be necessary. But unscrupulous inspections stations have lost their permits as a result of this activity, and generally the state's inspection process is simple, low-cost and effective.

Graves may be right when he says the inspections are a nuisance, but he is wrong to claim that these safety checks serve no purpose. Missourians are used to the inspection process. Given the statistics of safety problems that are identified each year, it makes sense to continue this nearly 30-year-old program.