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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 26, 1973)
dailu Wednesday, September 26, 1973 lincoin, nebraska vol. 97 no. 16 UP Survey reflects inadequacy of car inspection program Editor's note: The folio ..tig story was written as an assignment in the UNL School of Journalism Depth Reporting class. The author is a senior from Raymond. By Debbie Ivey Congratulations. You just left a service station where your car passed its yearly safety check with a quick once-over by an attendant who then slapped a sticker on your windshield. You got the sticker, the attendant got his $2, and you're both happy for another year. Happy-but authorities recall an incident last year in which a car sailed through the Nebraska Periodic Motor Vehicle Inspection (PMVI) with only a smile from the attendant. A few miles and a few minutes later the brakes failed and the car collided with a truck. The motorist doesn't visit that smiling service station attendant anymore. She's dead. Seventeen inspection station attendants in six Southeast Nebraska cities and towns recently risked indirectly killing motorists, because, among other things, they failed to check brakes during an inspection. The car-a 1965 Chevy II Nova, supposedly "in storage for Yh years." The motorist-me. The plan-to investigate inspection stations to determine if the PMVI program is working according to the regulations established by the Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles. The station attendants, representing independent garages, service 'stations and automobile dealers, were asked to inspect my car. During the inspection, only one attendant drove the car -so he alone knew whether it even had brakes. But he didn't mention that they needed adjustment. A mechanic who knew of my plan and who inspected the car before the investigation said both the brakes and the headlights needed adjustment. He said the car also needed a new tailpipe and tailpipe bracelet. Any one of these defects is reason for inspectors to reject the car. "Barely meeting" inspection requirements were the two front tires (with a tread depth of 232-inch), the muffler and balljoints. The left turn signal was not working properly, but it did meet the standard, and the left parking light bulb was burned out. None of these could cause rejection of the car. Results: All but one of the 17 stations violated state law by not checking the car in all 11 required areas. Such violations can bring a $500 fine andor six months in jail. Despite the defects, four station attendants affixed a safety inspection approval sticker to the car. Only two made minor repairs before doing so. The attendants are subject to the same penalties. As a result of the study, John Sullivan, the director of the Department of Motor Vehicles, said ho is wondering if Nebraska should join the 10 states that have no inspection program or if the state should switch to inspections at state run stations. Just six months ago, he said, he was beginning to think the program was nearing success. It can't be denied that the program has been improved in the last year. More men have been assigned to check inspection stations, training sessions and public relations films are being provided for station personnel and the public, the permits of nine stations not complying with "the provisions and spirit of the highway safety effort" have been revoked, and monthly evaluations are being completed to help improve the program. These changes were made after a charge by the 1972 Legislature either to improve the program by 1975 or stop it. Despite these improvements, Sullivan, Glen Eppens, (administrator of the inspection program) and Lou Kostka (supervisor of field operations for inspections and "my father" and witness during the investigation) all expressed concern about the program's continuation because of my survey. They also agreed, however, that inspections had improved since 1969. "Two years ago, all 17 would have slapped a sticker on the windshield," Sullivan said. He noted that only four passed the car and that only one of those four could be accused of "sticker slapping." It is also true, however, that 16 of the stations not only broke the law, but unfairly collected my $2 (since I did not receive the full inspection) and failed to alert me to danger. For S2, I received inspections that varied from three to 20 minutes. But only one of the 17stations did the thorough job required by law. How serious are these results? The Motot Vehicles Department apparently thinks they are quite serious since it contacted each of the stations after I conducted my survey. It reprimanded and issued citations to all but one. And it began revocation proceedings on the permits of two or three stations. Before the results of the investigation could be reported, the department said it planned to launch a control program using the same approach I took, in which Department personnel will visit every inspection station in the state. Is there an explanation for "sticker slapping" and sloppy inspections? Several station manager and employes said they get only $1.75 for each inspection, which they claim is not enough to merit a thorough job. Stations in most other states with inspection programs, however, receive less than that for inspections. In fact, several receive only 75 cents. Fear of losing a regular customer by requiring repairs was another explanation. Station manaycts also complained that they know the requirements, but don't have enough to do the inspections trained personne properly. See Gas stations, Page 2. r - (Vs. stick- HERS jtW e f J v; , i v . s, v r jr1 fv '"U i TFIR s A ' .--it-- .. A ' - 4EWm m f jv win EAD I 4 W f) EDYOUR H The Whole NU Catalog Group Invites You To Contribute Evaluat ions of The Exceptional Courses You vc Had. Whole NU Catalog to list 'good' courses Ps,sst! What's a good cuwrz-j to t.;kc r.vconcl semester? The Whole NU Caaloi, to in; oisiributed Oct. 10, will offei about 80 answer $ to ti,t rj.justion, according to a group compiling the i:,t of "'jot" tunra::, the booklet is to include. In part, the genera! iu-a of the catalog is to bypass the hit and miss approach students commonly use in selecting courses, the group said at a meeting Tuesday. When asked flow the catalog will differ from customary college bulletin';, which offer lofen descrifitions of courses, Vernon Willi.-ms' re.liMl, "How i!os night differ from day?" Williams, a faculty monibM tcxiiu'Cted with the project, is director of the CmjriM'li;'ig Ci.'n'.r. Ti,e big difk-iena' i.; th;a Mt.-ilents will, tell fellow students which ci.iurv", th.y ionr.d v..hi.ihlo, according to Marty Winkler, a student isieniker of ;!u: gioup. "We hep.; stm'-.-ntu It.tv:: l..J censes they feel are really worth rtH.ommendni;," VVirif I i said. The format of f.h:: i,.:t ivj. bo.-rowed from the Whole !i. C i !...'.:, vv!-.;.:.h (h 1 1'' .:!f;i hue life styles. Although the catalog title lii.iu the-; turn NU, only UNL courses are to be li'.te;!. Students am describe courses they found worthwhile on forms attached to yH!t,w and brown posters, which were tacked up tod;-- .u.-J ;n..; ii.-.adlined "Ffted Your Head." The recommJidat!u.-.i ,u.; in b.!. photographed and reproduced in their entirety, mis' hki all. f or this reason, respondents are ask.ii u an '.Iti'liic typewriter to type recommendations c ; i pont litem in bbek ink. 1 ,t. C;t 10 I t ! lit- lor lii-J.i ihuiion of the catalogs ,:, relates wiih ;. i :.eme-,!ri i i:gi:.ti ation beginning Oct. 17. About 10,000 (.oi"" ol !i:a e'Kjht page tabloid are to be printed, and the . (.! lough i (;sponse to list at least. 80 couise i ecu. ; aiu-! r k .: r, II moie than dO listings are received, the group plans 1o expand the booklet. If space permits, duplicate desei iptiuns will be printed. Names of persons ofleong couisi; infoimation will not be included on 1 1 1 rc-prodnf a-rj n (.. atani.-ndations. The group indie, tied the in.jjor uhstacle it now faces is time. If the projected diMi ibuli'in dale is to be met, recommendations must h. submitted by next Wednesday. Dropoff boxes at e to be placed around the Nebraska Union and in the Daily Ncbraskau olh c Union CM. Respondents also can mail the information to the Center lor Fducational Change (CEC) office1, Union 338. About $200 is budgeted for the project. Vince Boucher, CEC co-chairperson, said CF.C would pay as much as $100 for the project. CEC is a subcommittee of ASUIM Vernon Williams said the Teaching and Learning Center would pick up the rest of the tab. The idea for the caiaiog was o"; of several spawned during a session of last : print's VVild 'io.-ss Workshop, in which a of faculty and students br canst- i nv.d m an atte-ng)t. to im)rove teaching in the' Colic .; ef Arts . nd r'a.iei ices. ,iu !..ut member of the group b : leaje, tin; (.alalog will be Doug I'.ll :n Kjl !;! !, compilnaj tiie c-iS-ao pdaled in coming ye" " ";i"d I " 5 cane1 Cei oiKioing thing." '.omgM;:i a! .o M-.r.-.-d the vv!n 'e rcgistoilx n n iii i -a!-i recess. i: V .1 II x (., ! :'s voum oe oe.u iinnca ,i . . H ed "and by hand if