Bring back car inspections

I AM an air care inspector — i.e. emissions tester— located in the South Valley of Albuquerque. The reason for this letter is that I am appalled at the lack of vehicle safety in this city. I’ve had customers who have come into my facility with their air bags deployed, no emergency brakes, no brakes, worn gearshift etc. These lack of safety features have caused accidents in my facility. Honestly, how can someone drive a vehicle in that condition? They are endangering themselves, passengers and other drivers. Either these drivers are naïve or they simply do not care about the consequences of driving a vehicle without safety features.

I remember I had a customer who came into my facility with his air bags deployed, cracked windshield and the emergency brakes inoperable. Oh, but he had a banging new stereo system, and that was more important to him than his life or others. It is not only the consumer’s responsibility to drive a car that is safety equipped, but the sellers’ need to be responsible as well. How can a person sell a car to someone knowing that it is lacking in safety features?

I understand that some people can only buy what they can afford in terms of transportation. However, that does not mean they should be driving around this city or anywhere else in a vehicle that lacks safety. I understand that there is only so much that can be done to prevent car accidents. But honestly, driving a vehicle in that condition is inexcusable and irresponsible.

Safety is priority in my facility. When it comes to driving a vehicle, the matter of safety should not even be questioned. This state should go back to vehicle safety inspections because this is ridiculous. But I guess in present times, it is more valuable to have materialistic things like car stereos than a human life. I mean you only live once, right? OLIVIA BACA Albuquerque