[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by Rafichicago

One more thing to add. Post accident vehicles have rarely properly aligned headlights. This happens because most states don’t have proper annual inspections on vehicles like most European countries do. So bad tires bad suspension components misaligned headlights and especially Chicago area where I live notoriously bad shocks in vehicles are nightmare. I see at least once a week vehicle with broken tie rod on the side of the road just because someone didn’t care about replacing $50 part. Oh well.

As many of you know I moved to Chicago from Texas and they do so many things so much better than Illinois, if only it wasn’t like living in a blast furnace for six months out of the year. And, of course, no Texas city is as cool as Chicago. But, back to the point. Every vehicle in Texas is required to have an annual safety inspection where they check the operation of the headlights (operation and proper aim), taillights, brake lights, brakes, wiper blades, etc. The inspection is $13 and service stations and auto repair shops do it, so there is literally an inspection station on every street corner. A few years ago, to ensure every vehicle is actually inspected every year, they tied it to renewing your registration. You have to show proof of the inspection before you can renew your registration. (side note: you also have to show proof of insurance to renew your registration.) In Chicago they only test the emissions system and they only do that every two years by plugging into the OBDII port and there literally is not a single testing site in Chicago proper. You have to go to a suburb to have the test done. A city with a population of 2.7 million people does not have a single testing site. It’s unreal.