Friday, May 28, 2021 | 2 a.m.
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Assembly Bill 349 is needed to close the “classic car” loophole in Nevada. The “classic car” plates were intended for vehicles that predate modern smog standards — like the 1957 Bel Air, 1967 Impala, 1950 Oldsmobile 88 or 1965 Shelby Cobra. But cars 20 years old or older can get “classic car” status because of a loophole in the law.
Not many people would really think of a 1988 Honda Prelude as a “classic car,” but cars made in the 1980s and 1990s can avoid necessary smog checks despite emitting more carbon pollution than newer vehicles.
AB349 would not only close this loophole but modernize smog check standards and incentivize the care and maintenance of these vehicles to ensure they can pass a smog check. This would help get dirty cars off the road and help clean up air quality.
I have switched to an electric vehicle to do my part to lessen air pollution, and I hope we can do more to help people access cleaner vehicle technologies. Not only are they good for the air we breathe, they also cost less to fuel and maintain.
Not a day goes by that I do not see a haze over the valley when I drive along the 215 Beltway in the early morning. I long for a good rain to wash the smog away and smell the crisp air once again. With AB349, we can improve air quality and reduce the haze Las Vegas residents are all too familiar with.
