AARO petition seeks to get unfit vehicles off the road

The Automotive Aftermarket Retailers of Ontario (AARO) thinks the province needs mandatory inspections to get unfit vehicles off public roads… and it has drafted a petition that says as much.

The Burlington, Ont.-based association has been advised by Jeff Yurek, the Conservative member of the provincial legislature for the riding of Elgin-Middlesex-London, on how to properly submit the petition to the Ontario legislature.

AARO released the petition to its members earlier this week, encouraging them and their customers to support the call for a biennial vehicle inspection (once every two years).

“There are a lot of consumers who have concerns about the safety of vehicles on the road,” said AARO executive director Diane Freeman. “There are a lot of cars out there that have not been maintained.”

Although details have not been finalized as to how a mandatory inspection would run, she said she hopes it’s similar to the recently-updated motor vehicle inspection standard that applies to vehicles that are changing hands or being brought into the province.

She said Yurek was very helpful as they discussed the issue, and he is prepared to file the petition with the clerk of the Ontario legislature.

Yurek’s riding includes St. Thomas, Ont., home of AARO vice-president Bob Ward’s shop, The Auto Guys.

Ward said there’s an urgency in trying to rid Ontario roads of dangerous vehicles.

“There has been an increase in vehicle collisions in Ontario. Some of these are directly related to mechanical fitness,” he said. “Currently no inspection is required unless the vehicle is changing ownership. The recent changes to the Motor Vehicle Inspection program are a step in the right direction. With so many vehicles on the road today, there needs to be a way to improve the mechanical fitness of non-commercial vehicles.”

The association is calling for a minimum of 50,000 signatures to present it to government. The signatures must all be original – no faxes or copies.

Below is a copy of the petition that can be printed, signed, and submitted to AARO by mail. The association’s mailing address is 10-5100 S. Service Rd., Burlington, Ont., L7L 6A5.