Seward Blasts New D.m.v. Inspection Rule

State Senator James L. Seward has criticized the state Department of Motor Vehicles for enacting a new rule that will cut by two-thirds the time motorists have to get their vehicles inspected.

The new rule, to take effect in 2007, gives motorists ten days to get their vehicles inspected in the month their inspection stickers expire instead of the entire thirty days. Stickers will expire on the 10th, 20th or 30th day of the month, meaning people could be driving with expired inspections when they think they are well within the month.

"The hardworking, overburdened taxpayers of this state are fed up with stupid mandates and rules that complicate their lives. The proposed regulation put out by the DMV only harasses people who feel they don’t get their money’s worth from state government as it is," Seward said. "Instead of being able to have your car inspected at a time convenient for the motorist during the month, the DMV bureaucrats want to tell us when during the month we can have it done."

Seward noted that the new rule means motorists get inspection stickers valid for only 50 weeks when they pay the yearly fee for their annual inspections. The DMV is not proposing to reduce the inspection fee.

In a letter to the acting commissioner of DMV, Seward said the DMV shouldn’t enact a "needless, bureaucratic policy that complicates the lives of average working New Yorkers."

Seward said he is signing on legislation to rescind the rule.

"Enough is enough from bureaucrats," he concluded. "I’m going to make them accountable for this nonsense, and this why we need legislative review of state regulations as part of government reform."

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