Equipment

Question: We are driving our 30 foot class C motorhome with a 5x10 cargo trailer attached from Edmonton to Vancouver at the end of November. Do we need to carry chains or have winter tires?

Sometimes you run across a vehicle in your patrols that has such serious defects that it should never have left the driveway. A Notice & Order #1 is the tool used by the police to remove the vehicle from the highway and keep it removed until it has been repaired and passed inspection.

In 2010 the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA) published a best practice guide for regulating excessively raised vehicles. The guide is intended to help the provinces regulate raised vehicles with a uniform approach.

Could you perhaps comment on poorly focused high intensity illegal conversions done to forward lighting on vehicles? This person says that he has had many of his friends comment on how newer vehicles with high tech headlights have made night driving uncomfortable and unsafe for them.

QUESTION: I recently purchased a Pontiac Solstice from Saskatchewan and brought it to BC for Inspection. The windshield was declared to need replacement even after I took it to our local auto glass to have the three small rock chips filled.

Every year beginning on October 1st, B.C.'s highways are posted with signs that require the use of winter tires for light vehicles. The sign shows both the mountain & snowflake symbol and the M+S acronym. While both types of tire meet the requirements, it is very important to understand what M+S really means.

Nine lamps and six reflectors are the minimum required by law to be installed and functional on your trailer. If that trailer is not a small one, the number grows rapidly to stay in compliance depending on its length and width. Not just any lamp or reflector will do either, they all must be the right device for the right place and comply with standards.

Many drivers on the receiving end of a speeding ticket commented that their speedometer reported their vehicle's speed as something different than the radar or laser speed measuring device that I had used. I don't doubt that these drivers were telling me the truth. The trouble is that for virtually all of these incidents, I knew how accurate my speed measuring device was but these drivers had no idea whether their speedometer was accurate or not.

Transport Canada estimates that almost 20% of vehicles have an outstanding safety recall. Manufacturers will notify owners of these recalls if the owner's address is kept current, otherwise it is up to the vehicle owner to check for and arrange with the dealer for repairs. While this is not difficult to do, you have to remember to do it.

The quality of a home made or ubilt utility trailer can range from factory perfect to I'm amazed that it is still following you! Lights, licensing, weight and brakes are the most common problems encountered by enforcement personnel at the roadside.