State taking a hands-on approach to motor vehicle inspections

copyright the Chronicle November 30, 2016

by Brad Usatch

A new computerized vehicle inspection system being rolled out by the state of Vermont in 2017 could make it tougher for owners of older cars to keep their rigs on the road.

Beginning in January, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will phase in an Automated Vehicle Inspection System (AVIP) that sends electronic data from a car’s computer and even photographic evidence of degraded components to a centralized processing center.

AVIP uses what the DMV calls a “ruggedized” tablet computer to record emissions testing data and diagnostic computer information obtained during the annual inspection process. Inspections will still be carried out by the state’s network of private licensed inspection stations. Even under the current system, computer codes and emissions data are supposed to be recorded on paper forms and mailed off by inspection stations to the DMV. What’s truly new is that mechanics will now be asked to take pictures of cars being inspected and send that information off as well.

…To read the rest of this article, and all the Chronicle‘s stories, subscribe:

Print subscription

Annual online subscription

Short-term online subscription

(To find a particular article, search for the corresponding edition of the newspaper)