Equipment

It's show and shine season and the carefully maintained and restored older vehicles are out for our appreciation. I watched one vehicle from the early 50's pass by me the other day and I noticed that it was equipped with a center brake light and angel eyes in the headlights. It also sported a collector licence plate and that got me to thinking, were either of the two "enhancements" that I noticed allowed on a collector plated vehicle?

Is it correct that the maximum a vehicles OEM height can be modified is 10cm either up or down?

Then why do we see trucks on the road that are obviously lifted more that 10cm? This obviously raises bumper heights and headlights well above the heights mandated in the Motor Vehicle Act, correct?

Professional drivers of commercial vehicles (as defined in the National Safety Code) are required to do both pre- and post-trip inspections of their vehicles on a daily basis. The list of items to be checked is extensive and is set out in a document created by the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators. The document also sets out the criteria that defines an out of service condition until that problem is repaired.

Here is an example of how not to attach a trailer to a vehicle found on Highway 4 near Port Alberni. The connection for the breakaway brake is the cable dangling at the center of the picture. The end of this cable should be attached to the towing vehicle somewhere other than to the hitch itself, and definitely not to the safety chain. The aim of this device is to apply the trailer brakes in the event of the trailer accidentally disconnecting from the vehicle.

I have been issued a notice and order box 3 for my tinted tail lights. It is just spray paint and the notice says "Replace tinted tail lights". There are no boxes filled out on the description of the defect portion of the ticket. My questions are where do I hand this ticket in and is this really that serious?

Here is another example of obstructed lamps. The owner of this vehicle has coated the inside of the rear lenses on this vehicle with a translucent black spray coating that makes the lens appear dark or black.

The following photo is an example of how a well intended vehicle customization can impact safety. The covers over the rear lens assemblies of this pickup have completely obscured the reflectors and significantly reduced the effectiveness of brake and tail lights, particularly in the daytime.

Without a doubt, one of the most popular topic suggestions that I receive has to do with vehicle lighting. Either they are not being replaced when burned out, aren't being used properly (or at all) by drivers or are causing problems because of brightness or colour.

Recently I was coming back from the ski hill and got a rock chip in my windshield that has started to crack and spider. I know there is a violation ticket that may be written for a cracked windshield. I plan on getting it changed in the spring after the roads are swept because I don't really want to spend $200 dollars to have a windshield changed on the chance it may get hit with another rock.

Buying a set of used tires can be economical, but it can also hold hidden hazards that would make them much less than a bargain. Information from TyreSafe in the UK demonstrates some of the pitfalls that buying a used tire may hold.