Pennsylvania Bill would Give Consumers More Time to Repair Unsafe Vehicles

The Pennsylvania House's Transportation Committee voted 26-0 to advance HB 649, which would give drivers more time to complete required repairs and inspections on vehicles deemed to be operating in an unsafe condition.

Under current law, a police officer or other qualified employee of the state can determine that the condition of a vehicle makes it unsafe to operate. The driver must repair the problem and the vehicle must pass a safety inspection within five days of receiving the notice of the officer or employee's determination. If passed into law, HB 649 would instead give drivers 15 days to complete these obligations. This change in the law would align the grace period given to personal vehicles with the grace period given to commercial vehicles, which have 15 days to meet these obligations under current law.

The author of the bill, State Representative Thomas Kutz (R), argues that this legislation is necessary because inspection stations are experiencing labor shortages that make it impossible for drivers to schedule an inspection within the 5 day timeframe.