Cedric Stephens | Are annual vehicle inspections necessary? Part 2

The aims of Jamaica’s Access to Information Act 2004, ATI, are to reinforce and give effect to certain fundamental principles underlying the system of constitutional democracy, namely, governmental accountability, transparency, and public participation in national decision-making by granting to the public general access to information held by public authorities.

The ATI statute preceded the launch of Twitter – now rebranded as X – by about two years.

Since its introduction two decades ago, X has grown into one of the world’s largest social networks, with over 500 million users. It claims to be an integral part of online communication, allowing people to express their thoughts, follow trends, and engage with others across the globe.

X is just one of many social media platforms. WhatsApp, for example, had two billion users worldwide in 2023, with about 930,000 of them in Jamaica.

Have these developments contributed to a more accountable and transparent government and increased public participation in national decision-making in our agencies of state? These thoughts entered my mind as I read one reader’s 250-word comments about my article last week ‘Are Annual Vehicle Inspections Necessary?’.

The non-reaction on the parts of the Island Traffic Authority, The Road Safety Unit of the Ministry of Transport, and its parent ministry, The National Road Safety Council, and the Public Safety and Enforcement Branch of the Jamaica Constabulary Force, the JCF-PSEB, to address the things discussed in the article provide an example of how much weight these institutions place on the high ideals expressed in the preface to the ATI legislation.

Here are six takeaways from the email the thoughtful reader sent to me:

• Defective motor vehicles were not listed among the 10 most frequent causes of local accidents, according to data compiled by the JCF;

• Annual vehicle testing is a time-wasting ritual that serves no useful purpose! The Government should abandon this practice as soon as possible;

• The revenue loss from the discontinuation could be added to the cost of vehicle licensing and thus make it revenue neutral to all concerned and savings to government’s expenses for all the inputs to provide all the premises, paper and staff need for this exercise in futility!;

• The man hours saved throughout would benefit the economy;

• The corruption associated with the roadworthiness testing process would be eliminated in the absence of annual vehicle inspections; and

• Annual certification of vehicles is not required in the state of Florida. There is no evidence to suggest that it has led to an increase in accidents.

Bottom line: Even though local roadworthiness tests have been undertaken for decades, there is no data in the public domain to support the argument that the tests prevent or contribute to the prevention of accidents.

The data collection conducted by the PSEB is not designed to capture information about compliance with the Road Traffic Regulations, 2022, post-accident. If this assumption is correct, it would account for the lack of data about the frequency of collisions caused by defective vehicles. This is a reasonable conclusion given the authorities’ inability to accurately collect and record the number of persons injured in motor vehicles collisions each year.

The existing regime of roadworthiness tests appears to ignore ongoing developments in the manufacture of motor vehicles. For example, is data from EDRs, or event data recorders, commonly referred to as ‘black boxes’, routinely retrieved by members of the JCF from vehicles fitted with these devices after accidents and inputted into the national motor vehicle accident database?

Black boxes, like those in aircraft, depict data such as how fast the car was going, the position of the throttle, brake application, airbag deployment, seatbelt use, steering angles, and a range of other factors as they were about 20 seconds before, during, and 20 seconds after the crash. Collecting this information helps vehicle manufacturers or the authorities know if the crash was caused by a preventable human error or mechanical failures. These devices were mandated in all new vehicles made in the United States in 2014.

This newspaper reported last Wednesday that the US government has mandated that automatic emergency braking systems will have to become a standard feature of all new passenger vehicles in five years’ time. It predicted that this safety feature will save hundreds of lives and prevent thousands of injuries.

Some vehicles are now being manufactured with sophisticated collision-avoidance systems, also known as a pre-crash system, forward collision warning system, or collision mitigation system. This is an advanced driver-assistance system designed to prevent or reduce the severity of a collision.

In its basic form, a forward collision warning system monitors a vehicle’s speed, the speed of the vehicle in front of it, and the distance between the vehicles so that it can provide a warning to the driver if the vehicles get too close, potentially helping to avoid a crash. Various technologies and sensors that are used include radar (all-weather) and sometimes laser (LIDAR) and cameras (employing image recognition) to detect an imminent crash. Pedestrian detection can also be a feature of these types of systems.

Some vehicles currently on Jamaica’s roads employ advanced technologies that operate independently of drivers. Are the existing roadworthiness tests conducted across the island suitable for these vehicles?

This newspaper also reported last week that one logistics operator plans to introduce self-driving, 18-wheeled trucks (or semis), outfitted with 25 laser, radar, and camera sensors, on American highways between Dallas and Houston later this year, from my observations, local counterparts of the US logistics operator import tractor heads from the US for use in Jamaica.

Given the speed with which US trends are adopted locally, it is not inconceivable that driverless trucks will be on our roads soon. Are the folks at the ITA and its 15 examination depots ready for this?

Finally, are motor insurance premiums now being computed to reflect the reduced level of risks that collision-avoidance systems embedded in some newer motor vehicles present?

This column would appreciate feedback from the previously mentioned authorities as proof that they respect the ideals of our constitutional democracy as expressed in the ATI law.

Cedric E. Stephens provides independent information and advice about the management of risks and insurance. For free information or counsel, write to: aegis@flowja.com or business@gleanerjm.com