2Many Cars

Although it seems confusing, the issue in the states about smog testing centers around the average air quality where you live. It's a federal law that your area is allowed only so many "bad" air days where the air quality is below a certain level. If the limit is exceeded over a period of years the locality risks losing highway funds from the feds (basically tax revenue to pay for road upkeep). Not surprisingly the areas that have problems are the urban areas so they are the first to impose anti-smog laws (like Atlanta) and less populated areas and states like Montana don't have any smog rules. Some states (Calif. and NY as an example) have the problem in enough areas that they just make the laws apply to the whole state.

As the owner of a number of old cars I'm not in love with the smog rules but they aren't that hard to live with in CA since it's only a bi-annual inspection for cars after 1974 and a well maintained car will usually pass. The pre-1975 exemption is not dumb but was hard fought here and granted in recognition of the fact that the vast majority of cars that old are owned by collectors and very seldom driven. Also, smog laws in general may seem dumb to lots of people but as one of the older farts here I saw the difference it made in Los Angeles from the 70s to the 90s. It was just unreal how much the air cleared (if you don't believe me just watch a few Dragnet reruns) so I can't say the laws didn't change things for the better there. A pain in the butt yes but dumb no.

black ice

Florida used to be like Georgia, with select counties conducting smog - but about eight years ago the governor said the program was too expensive to maintain and now we have no smog inspection nor any physical inspection whatsoever. You can drive any piece of crap down the road you want.

Nothing pisses you off like blue ricer headlights aimed directly into your rear view mirror.

dave

BobbyT

2Many Cars is right on target. I worked in East LA in the 70s, when it hurt one's lungs to take a deep breath of air, and at the end of the day, the motorcycle cops looked like raccoons, faces dark with soot except where there sunglasses covered. Big change now, pretty clean air in LA by comparison to those days.

California had a "Passenger Vehicle Inspection" program of roadside inspections conducted by the CHP until the Jerry Brown administration in the 70s and the advent of Zero-Based Budgeting, when budget line items had to be justified by departments on a yearly basis, and analysis showed that safety inspections were not cost-effective. It may be counter-intuitive, but not many collisions are caused by faulty vehicle condition, other than the loose nut behind the wheel...

993MAN

No, we get a little sticker about 1 1/2" x 2", if that. It has numbers 1 to 12 qround the edge and the garage punch a hole in the month of expiry. It's not a big ugly sticker though.
Some of the rules over there have to make you wonder though. Some of those old POS cars driving around just shouldn't be on the roads.
Interesting that insurance companies don't even check the car over after a crash/claim.
If you make a claim here, sometimes they check everything and just about get out the rubber glove for a body search!

Boston911fan

BTW, where in NZ are you from? I have a friend from Christ Church, and my father traveled there once on a business trip and absolutely loved it.

Carrera GT

Same in Australia. When a little old lady decided to T-bone into the side of my car while I was stopped in the median of a divided road, the insurer wanted to check the mechanicals on my car ... ? When my wife wrecked my Boxster on a freeway driving in the rain on track tires, they didn't care that there was basically zero tread depth -- if they'd said "idiot" and declined the claim, I wouldn't have debated the point. : )