Highway Traffic Act - Tuner Edition
So in my time here on the forum, i keep seeing people ask "Is this Illegal?", "Will this pass Emissions?", "Will i get pulled over if (insert topic here)?" and its astounding how much people lack simple knowledge of the Ontario HTA. Once in awhile people post references to HTA laws, but theyre scattered all over the forums and people dont search for them themselves on the internet. So ive taken a few hours out of my boring work day to compile a list of -Some- of the HTA/Emission laws that i find are the most asked about, or seem the most concerning. Mods feel free to move/edit/sticky as necessary, or even delete.
The information is listed in order in the following categories;
1-LIGHTS
2-WINDOWS
3-EXHAUST/NOISE
4-EMISSIONS
And it begins...
HTA Ontario – "Tuner edition"
Ref http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/sta...es_90h08_e.htm
LIGHTS (HID’S, COLOR, OUTPUT, ECT..)
Light requirement (sect 62 para 4)
(4) Any lamp required under subsection (1), (2) or (3) shall, when lighted, be clearly visible at a distance of at least 150 metres from the front or rear, as the case may be.
- Tinted tail lights? Make sure they’re visible from at least 150m.
Attachment that affects lamps prohibited (sect 62 para 7)
(7) No person shall drive upon a highway a motor vehicle if either or both of the lamps that are required on the front of the vehicle by subsections (1), (2) and (3),
(a) are coated or covered with a coloured material; or
(b) have been modified by the attachment to the lamps or the motor vehicle of any device that reduces the effective area of the lenses or the intensity of the beam of the lamps. 2002, c. 18, Sched. P, s. 19 (1).
- Coated headlights of fog lights? Be careful, you can be ticketed according to the HTA!
Strength of front lamps (sect 62 para 9)
(9) No motor vehicle shall carry on the front thereof more than four lighted lamps that project a beam having an intensity of over 300 candela.
-If you have HID’s and their light output is greater than 300 candela they are illegal and you can be ticketed, although cops seem to be extremely lenient and leave nearly all of us with HID’s alone.
Intermittent red light restricted (sect 62 para 14, 14.1 & 16)
(14) Subject to subsections (14.1) and (15), no person shall use a lamp, other than the vehicular hazard warning signal lamps commonly known as four way flashers, that produces intermittent flashes of red light.
Red and blue lights to the front restricted
(14.1) In addition to the lighting requirements in this Part, a police department vehicle may carry lamps that cast red and blue lights, but no other motor vehicle shall carry any lamp that casts red and blue lights to the front.
Green flashing light restricted
(16) The following persons may carry on or in his or her vehicle and operate a lamp that produces intermittent flashes of green light:
1. A firefighter,
2. A prescribed class of volunteer medical responder,
-The points above speak for them selves.
WINDOWS (STICKERS, TINTS & VISIBILITY)
Equipment obstructing view -Signs, objects, etc. (Sect 73 para 1, 2 & 3)
73. (1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle upon a highway,
(a) with any sign, poster or other non-transparent material or object placed on the windshield or on any window of such motor vehicle; or
(b) with any object placed in, hung on or attached to the motor vehicle,
in a manner that will obstruct the driver’s view of the highway or any intersecting highway
-It is illegal to have any stickers on your front windshield where it is not transparent and you can not see through it. Also, it is technically illegal to have any view obstructing objects hanging from your rear view mirror. Normally the latter is normally given when an officer feels like racking up additional tickets for you, as this is never the sole reason for being pulled over.Colour coating obstructing view prohibited
(2) No person shall drive a motor vehicle upon a highway where the surface of the windshield or of any window of the vehicle has been coated with any colour spray or other colour coating in such a manner as to obstruct the driver’s view of the highway or any intersecting highway
Colour coating obscuring interior
(3) No person shall drive on a highway a motor vehicle on which the surface of the windshield or of any window to the direct left or right of the driver’s seat has been coated with any coloured spray or other coloured or reflective material that substantially obscures the interior of the motor vehicle when viewed from outside the motor vehicle
-Para 2 & 3 above dictate the restrictions on window tinting, and stickers on the front side windows of the car. This is where the officer’s discretion comes on establishing wether or not the tinting is too dark to be deemed safe for visibility.
EXHAUST, EXCESSIVE NOISE
Noise, smoke, bells and horns
Muffler (Sect 75)
75. (1) Every motor vehicle or motor assisted bicycle shall be equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise and excessive smoke, and no person shall use a muffler cut-out, straight exhaust, gutted muffler, hollywood muffler, by-pass or similar device upon a motor vehicle or motor assisted bicycle.
Unnecessary noise (Sect 75 para 4)
(4) A person having the control or charge of a motor vehicle shall not sound any bell, horn or other signalling device so as to make an unreasonable noise, and a driver of any motor vehicle shall not permit any unreasonable amount of smoke to escape from the motor vehicle, nor shall the driver at any time cause the motor vehicle to make any unnecessary noise, but this subsection does not apply to a motor vehicle of a municipal fire department while proceeding to a fire or answering a fire alarm call.
-Want to modify your exhaust to be louder and faster? Be warned: at officer’s discretion, you can be ticketed for an exhaust that is deemed too loud, or louder than factory (muffler delete, resonator delete, headers, Down pipes, cat delete, and straight through exhausts are all a concern here). Also even revving your Stock engine at a red light like an idiot can get you a ticket.
-Like to use Seafoam? The “smoke” generated from the first few minutes of driving it can also get you a ticket.
EMISSION LAWS 2013
http://www.elaws.gov.on.ca/html/regs...0361_e.htm#BK0
TEST REPORTS
1.2 No person shall create, distribute or use a document that is a false report
-Speaks for its self
CATALYTIC CONVERTERS
1.5(3) If a motor or motor vehicle is manufactured with a catalytic converter, no person shall alter or cause or permit the alteration of the motor or motor vehicle in a manner that permits exhaust emissions to bypass the catalytic converter.
(4) No person shall operate or cause or permit the operation of a motor or motor vehicle that was manufactured with a catalytic converter if the catalytic converter, or any replacement for the catalytic converter,
(a) is not capable of performing the function for which the catalytic converter was intended; or
(b) is disconnected, removed or otherwise altered so that it is not capable of performing the function for which the catalytic converter was intended. O. Reg. 86/99, s. 4.
- Essentially if you remove, gut, or bypass any OEM Catalytic converters it is illegal. If your car came from factory with 2 Cats, it better have 2 cats on it to meet current emission laws.7. (1) If a motor or motor vehicle is manufactured with a system or device to prevent or lessen the emission of any contaminant, including an on-board diagnostic system designed to identify motor or emissions control system problems and regulate motor or emission control system operations
-Pretty much states that aftermarket tunes are illegal, because you are modifying the parameters that control emissions
There you have it. Only a fraction of what is actually in the HTA, but the links are also provided.
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Re: Highway Traffic - Tuner Edition
Originally Posted by kilo4321
