Vehicle Emissions Testing is Classist
In the 1950s, the US government spent a ton of money remaking American infrastructure to rely on the car. The goal was to improve transportation and to spur growth in the economy. The vehicles that it relied upon were mostly inexpensive, carbureted, and highly inefficient. In the late, 1970s and early 1980s concerns about air quality particularly in large cities led to new regulations, which required better efficiency in passenger vehicles. By 1990, all new vehicles were fuel injected, got much better gas mileage, and were more efficient. However, with this, came emissions testing on passenger vehicles in some states.
The problem with this is that as vehicles age, they become less efficient. That little check engine light on your dash is an indicator that your vehicle is not operating efficiently. In states with emissions testing, this means that older vehicles are less likely to pass inspection than newer ones. And who owns older, less expensive vehicles? The poor and working class. Vehicle emissions testing privileges those with money who can afford to buy newer vehicles. As we move toward zero emissions passenger vehicles, this is likely to get worse.
This is not to say that I’m not concerned about emissions - I am, but what is needed is not punitive measures on people reliant on cheap vehicles, but a complete transformation of American infrastructure much like the transformation of the 1950s to rely on electrified public transportation. Passenger vehicles need to go the way of the horse and buggy, but that will require forward thinking and a large public investment.