For the month of April, The Kelowna RCMP Municipal Traffic Section is focusing on enforcement of defective vehicles in an effort to improve safety on our roadways.
We continue to see illegal vehicle modifications in the Central Okanagan, says Sgt. Mark Booth of the Kelowna RCMP Municipal Traffic Section, These modifications often don’t meet the safety standards of the Motor Vehicle Act and its Regulations, and can put the occupants of the vehicle, and the rest of the motoring public at risk.
Though not a comprehensive list, these are the top three vehicle defects observed so far:
- Vehicle suspension or illegal lift kits: A common modification encountered by enforcement officers is the illegal raising or lowering of a vehicles suspension height by more than 10 cm (3.9 inches) from the original basic specification of the vehicle manufacturer. Section 25.21 of the Motor Vehicle Act Regulations (MVAR) states that the vehicle CAN NOT be driven, operated or parked on a highway in British Columbia, until it has been inspected by a certified inspector at a designated inspection facility to ensure that the modifications meet safety standards.
- Tinted windows: No material, which reduces the amount of light transmitted through a vehicles window, shall be affixed more than 75 mm below the top of the vehicles windshield, a side window that is not behind the driver, or the rear window if the vehicle is equipped with an outside rear view mirror.
- Modified exhaust systems or loud mufflers: vehicles, including motorcycles, equipped with aftermarket exhaust systems or no muffler at all that create excessive noise can find themselves subject to a fine or a notice in order to rectify the issue.
Already this month, law enforcement officers of the Municipal Traffic Section have issued 31 Violation Tickets (fines) or Notice and Orders for these issues, and they will be conducting projects throughout the remainder of the month, keeping an eye out for these and other defective vehicle violations.
We all have a responsibility as vehicle operators to ensure the safety of our community, says Sgt. Mark Booth. Part of that is making sure that any vehicle we have is in compliance with the safety standards of the province.