[dfwgator]

How would a cop know just by looking at a car that the brakes are bad, until an accident occurs?

[Osage Orange]

It's possible on certain makes and models of car's with a flashlight and the tires turned in or out hard...to see the pads.

Not the best "look"...but it's certainly possible on many makes and models.

FWIW-

[stratplayer]

He doesn’t. He can see how you drive and stop though. The point is define bad brakes. There’s a very large grey area and not all will agree. The government is VERY bad at these type of definitions so in the end it just doen’t work. Shops that do improper inspections are a problem and they are plentiful. I repeat that shops ARE NOT making a fortune on inspections.