Chapter 5: Your Vehicle

Checks before you drive

Driving a vehicle in dangerous condition is illegal. A police officer or Ministry of Transportation inspector can examine your vehicle, its equipment and any trailer attached to it at any time. Check for ice, snow or dirt that may interfere with lighting, steering or your view.

Maintenance and winter

Regular maintenance is normally scheduled by accumulated vehicle mileage or time intervals, whichever comes first. In winter, always carry extra windshield washer fluid; a faulty exhaust system is especially dangerous in winter.

Tires

Tires more than 10 years old should not be used. Replace tires with bulges or cuts deep enough to expose cords. If you live in northern Ontario, you can legally use studded tires on your vehicle.

Insurance and registration

Every vehicle registered in the province must be insured. Vehicle registration includes licence plates and a vehicle permit, and plates move with the owner, not the vehicle. After a collision, refuse to sign blank forms in advance of receiving any services or health-care treatment related to your collision.

Towing

Before towing, consider your vehicle's size, power and condition. A trailer is a separate vehicle, and it is against the law to tow more than one trailer behind a non-commercial vehicle. A trailer with a gross weight of 1,360 kilograms or more must have brakes strong enough to stop and hold it. Your trailer must have two red reflectors at the rear, as far apart as possible. Safety chains, if used, must be crossed under the tongue. No person may ride in a trailer being towed, and a load that may fall off is an offence. About five to 10 per cent of the trailer's total weight should be supported on the hitch, within the weight limit marked on the hitch. Back up slowly with someone outside directing you; to back up right, steer left. Do not tow a vehicle with power brakes and steering if its engine cannot run.