When DriveClean used the…

When DriveClean used the dynamometer/tailpipe system for testing, vehicle owners rarely knew before the test whether their vehicle would pass or not. Statistics regarding pass/fail results held some weight with this testing procedure.

Now, it is common knowledge that when the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) is lit that the vehicle is unlikely to pass an e-test. Therefore it is not surprising that tested vehicles have a low failure rate due to the fact that vehicle owners "in the know" repair their vehicles prior to an e-test.

Employed as a Drive Clean Inspector, I see a number of vehicles each day that have SRS and ABS lights on. I am frequently asked not to apply a vehicle's e-brake as it is either seized or does not function. I am doubtful that once the Drive Clean program comes to an end that anyone will take their vehicle in for service when the MIL light comes on. Motorists that do not even care about their own physical safety, or the safety of others, are unlikely to give a damn about the environment.

More, not less, oversight is needed regarding selfish motor vehicle operators. Keep this in mind the next time you are driving on Ontario's motorways with someone tailgating you.