O P I N I O N

THE SOAPBOX

Stand up. Speak up. It’s your turn.

Imagine driving home to Derry after a long day, your 2009 Honda CRV running smoothly, oil undercoated, brakes checked by your own hands. Yet you’re glancing in the rearview mirror, heart racing, fearing a cop will pull you over. Life is busy and you happen to be a few days late to renew your inspection sticker. As a 26-year-old lifelong Granite Stater, I feel this dread yearly. Why? A redundant tax disguised as a “safety” sticker, despite my meticulous care, haunts me, threatening fines and stress.

I want a New Hampshire where we’re trusted to maintain our vehicles without overreach. No more $50 fees to inspection stations, no more forced repairs for trivial flaws that don’t crash cars. Brian Chase, a NH State Police vet with 35 years of experience, confirms: only 2% of crashes stem from component failure, and NH’s strict inspections don’t change that. Only 11 states mandate annual vehicle inspections. We’d save millions annually, easing the burden on young Granite Staters like me and our elderly fixed income neighbors.

The path forward is clear: support House Bill 649 to scrap this outdated program.

Join me and let’s act! Call and email your State Reps today and ask that they vote in support of HB 649.

Derek Proulx lives in Derry, NH.

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