Traffic: the textbook definition of damnation as it applies to modern American society. The utmost first-world, puerile complaint that entrenches our day-to-day lives. The only thing that could make it worse is the elimination of safety inspections for vehicles, which would cause a multitude of car crashes, deaths and ultimately more traffic under the guise of saving the Texan public time and money — which is exactly what the Texas legislature did.
HB 3297 eliminates safety inspections for vehicles, instead replacing them with an annual $7.50 fee, or a one-time $16.75 fee if your vehicle has not been previously registered. Signed June 2023, HB 3297 will take effect Jan. 1, 2025. That means when the fall 2024 semester comes to a close, the roads around UTD are going to transform into a rueful nightmare fueled by traffic-related mischief of Bradbury-esque proportions with more accidents and higher insurance rates for all.
That is not to say the roads around UTD are currently in pristine condition and that everyone here is holding hands, singing bhajans and doing the Irish jig. In fact, Dallas ranked sixth in Forbes’ 2024 list of the top 10 cities with worst drivers. It also ranked third in the nation for fatal drunk driver accidents at 6.25 per 100,000 city residents, and fourth for fatal accidents involving speeding at 5.69 per 100,000 city residents. That does not mean we should ban cars and force everyone to toil and suffer on foot, but there has to be at least a modicum of regulation — sane regulation — for transportation.
It is quite comical that, even though Texas is removing vehicle safety inspections, it will still require the most-populated counties to appear annually for an emissions test, in which both Dallas and Collin County are included, so at least students can look forward to that even when they remove general safety inspections. Hooray. It is also quite comical that, when HB 3297 was open to public testimony in the Texas Senate in May 2023, opponents outnumbered supporters 16 to 5. However, the bill passed the Texas House 109-32 and Texas Senate 20-11. A government that is out-of-touch with the public which it represents should not be fit to exert control over said public. I know this might sound radical, iconoclastic even, but bear with me.
The counterargument against what I (and let’s be real, most of the public) am insisting is that HB 3297 will reduce costs and save time, eliminating supposedly “irrelevant” safety inspections. That is what Mayes Middleton, the state senator for Galveston, said on the subject — but upon closer inspection, his argument has more holes than a Connect 4 board made out of Swiss cheese.
No, it is not going to reduce costs. Current safety vehicle inspections, both one-year and two-year, run at $7.00 per vehicle, 50 cents less than the proposed 2025 rates. As for insurance, the end of state inspections might not directly cause an increase in rates, but will most likely lead to more crashes. A 2018 study done by UT Austin demonstrated that if there are more crashes, there are more insurance claims, which will cause the rates to go up. And yes, that affects you, fellow UTD student, even if you’ve had a perfect driving record, because location affects your insurance rates.
No, it is not going to save time either. A car inspection in Texas can take as little as fifteen minutes, or up to an hour if you’re really clueless about your vehicle, and you only have to do it once a year. Compare one hour per year to potentially one week in the hospital because your car had bald tires or a faulty brake system. You might think this is an over-exaggeration, but know this potential reality could always happen to you. And with HB 3297, that potential reality is going to have a much higher chance of coming true. Can you, a UTD student, afford to spend a week or month in the hospital as opposed to taking exams or studying or chatting with schoolmates? I sure can’t.
Finally, safety inspections are not irrelevant. Texas’ required equipment for motor vehicles is quite thorough — specifying brakes, lights, fuel caps, even license plates. These guys have everything covered. Inspections are not just some bloke flashing a light he got from the corner drugstore; the equipment list has a real, lasting effect and real safety is being ensured.
It is no surprise that four-fifths of UTD students commute to campus and will be harmed by these changes. Cripes, students have been complaining about DFW-area transport as far back as 2004! We already groan and moan about how terrible X professor is or why Y assignment is a crime against humanity. Do we need more complaints? Is anybody going to advocate for that? I’m not and you shouldn’t either.
So, what is the solution for this catastrophe? Nothing. Absolutely, positively, without a doubt nothing. There are powerful forces outside our control — some of which are foolish and bizarre — but I still believe we can make our own miracles. Keep springing out of bed every morning, brushing your teeth, snoozing through class, kvetching about your daily shortcomings, but also taking your vehicle in for its annual inspection. It is not required to take your vehicle in for inspection anymore, but it is not illegal either. It is certainly less hassle, and more effective, than writing death threats to Gov. Greg Abbott or moving out of the state. We might have less faith in DFW traffic and safe drivers, but by continuing to prioritize our safety, we can keep it from becoming even more decadent and depraved.
