EXTERIOR
Coloured Bulbs and Lights
The only colours allowed on a vehicle are red,amber, and white respectively. All cars driven in Canada have met federal and provincial safety criteria and that includes the lighting systems.

The only colours allowed to be visible from the front are amber (turn signals and parking lights) and white/amber (headlamps and fog lights).

The only coloured lights visible from the rear of your car are red (brake/signal lights) amber (signals) and white (reverse lights).

Over the past while other colours have become popular for cars and have been generally tolerated in the enforcement area due to lack of ability to crack down, for example manpower.

Green, blue, purple, etc are all colours we have seen on the road and for the time being are somewhat okay until the new proposed legislation takes effect.

I will go into more depth with the colours of lights in their specific areas like brake lights and signals.

So technically, when you change the colours of these lights you are indeed changing the specifications of your car and the safety criteria.

Therefore, they should not pass safety inspection when taken for one and are not legal.

Remember, all these lights, specifically parking lights, help other drivers determine whether you are indeed parked and how you are facing them.

And, no freaky colours such as these are allowed to be flashing or blinking.

*** Unless you are an emergency vehicle or have special permission from Transport Canada, do not have any lights facing the front that are red, flashing or not.

Turn Signals
Turn signals to the front are only allowed to be amber and to the rear they are only allowed to be amber or red. No other colours are allowed, including white or "clear corners" that have a primary use for signaling turns.

Clear or coloured turn signals, believe it or not, will confuse other drivers of your intentions and if an accident occurs, blame or accountability may rest on you.

Clear Corners
Clear corners are fine if you use a bulb that is either amber if for the front, or amber/red for the rear.

Clear corners with coloured or white lights that do not flash are tolerated, for now.

Side Markers
Side markers are actually one of the best modifications you can do for your car. They look good if done properly and increase your visibility and intentions when turning at intersections and on thruways.

Again, they must be amber if they flash.

M3 Style Mirrors with Turn Signals
These are also a good idea for the same reasons as above. Same thing about colour applies.

Windshield Washer Nozzle Lights
First off, WHY? To each his own I guess.

Right now these are tolerated. You can have any colour you want as long as they don't flash and they are not red.

If they are going to flash, make them amber.

Tail Lights and Altezza Style Tail Lights
All cars must display at least one red lamp to the rear that will indicate a reduction in speed. This does not include the rear deck or spoiler lights.

All brake lights must be red or amber or a combination of both. Your rear signal light can be red or amber and your reverse lights must be white.

No exceptions here.

Alteeza style light kits are nice providing you purchase the right kind. APC puts out a good product but there are those that are out there that are sub-standard and look homemade.

When your brake lights come on, they have to be bright red. Having a clear taillight with just a red bulb won't cut it. The inside housing of the brake light has to be reflective and increase the reflective surface area of the lights when they are activated.

That's why when cars are driving, there lights are on to the rear, but when braking, the lights become brighter in order to show a reduction in speed.

When getting these light kits, again, you have to have either red or amber turn signals.

Spend the money and get a good set, not the cruddy ones we have all seen.

Headlights, Driving/Fog Lights, HID Systems
All cars are required to have two side-by-side headlamps that are either white or amber.

Replacing your headlamp bulbs is an easy mod for your car but bear in mind the kind of bulb and the colour it produces.

Hyperwhites, Eurolite, Sylvania, PIAA, etc. have good bulbs that mimic HID style lighting.

But if you get a light that produces more blue than white, it's frowned upon. The same goes for the lights that have the purple/pink tinge to them and the ones that have that slight rainbow effect.

These are a no-no.

You are only allowed four (4) headlamps/driving/fog lights activated at once. For most that is not a problem. But having extra driving/fog lights is also frowned upon. I have seen some cars with this but this mostly relates to trucks and SUVs that have off-road mounted lighting systems.

HID lighting systems. If you have the money, why not. They are better quality light and produce as close to daylight as possible therefore making your surroundings more detailed to your eye when driving.

Headlight and Tail Light Covers
Covering your headlights or taillights with either hard acrylic tinted plastic or with some sort of enamel or tape reduces the amount of light that is projected from the lighting system.

Headlights have to be clearly seen from a minimum of 150 m, and reducing the amount of light reduces your ability to be seen.

You also have to be careful with coverings that have the small circular cut outs that give the rally look to your car.

License Plate Covers/LightsNeons
Your plates have to be unobstructed and affixed to your car in a "conspicuous" manner.

Putting your plates on your dashboard is not conspicuous. If you have recently had your plate fall off and don't have means to fix it at this moment, that's fine if the officer buys it.

The same goes for putting your plate behind your new mesh grille.

Your car was made to have it mounted on the bumper or in that area, front and back.

You also have to have your rear plate illuminated with a white light that reflects white. Again not blue green or red.

Plate covers are a good idea but it depends on which style you have. Clear is obviously the best but it is getting old.

Also, clear covers fade and crack and become yellow. This may become a visibility issue.

Smoked or dark tinted covers will get you a ticket as they may reduce the visibility of the plate numbers.

But there are light tinted blue covers out there that are very nice and still reflect the plate light in a white manner.

Neon plate lights, other than white are not legal. If you want them, put them on your front plate.

On a side note, a pet peeve of mine, your Val Tag goes on the upper right corner of your plate. Not the left and not in the middle of the plate. People that put each consecutive year on all four corners look like they are collecting hockey cards. Believe it or not, it's a ticket.

Tint
Tinting your car is a great way to keep it cool in the summer and for privacy reasons.

Here in Ontario there is no actual measurement or specification on tinting as there is in the USA.

There is no 35% rule for rear windows etc.

The rules for tint are very simple here. You can have your windows tinted as dark as you want so long as these windows are behind the driver's compartment.

The windows directly to the left and to the right of the driver, meaning the driver and passenger windows, can be tinted, but only slightly enough so that the driver of the car can be identified by sex, colour, age, race, etc.

This especially applies at night.

Contrary to CarDemon's feelings on this matter, it is not a racial profiling tool, but more for safety for law enforcement.

It also assists in identifying drivers of our stolen P5's and also helps in identifying whether a driver is in medical duress behind the wheel.

If your car is stolen, or borrowed by someone who commits a crime, the onus at times is on you to prove that you were not the one behind the wheel.

But if someone is readily available to give a description of someone behind the wheel of your car that does not match your description, this helps narrow down the search for a culprit, meaning which one of your friends drove your car in a drunken stupor to the corner store.

As far as tint colour goes, Bob's your Uncle here. Red, blue, green, whatever. As long as the above rule of thumb applies.

The only style of tinting I would be wary of is the silver to black fade tint. In most applications it looks nice, however if the silver part of the tint is too high and obscures the driver, you're opening yourself up to problems.

NOTE: A tint company will sell you and apply the tint and tell you their interpretation of laws. Be wary and smart about it.

My past two cars have been tinted and the different places I went to, some were downright crooks wanting to make my car look like a limousine at a funeral.

Windshield Banners and Stickers
Be careful of windshield banners that are so thick they reduce the amount of windshield you can see out of. Especially if you have this in addition to a hood cowl.

Some of these are so thick from top to bottom that it looks like the occupants are trying to look through the crack under a door.

In turn, drivers will recline their seats way back "Ghetto Concept Style" looking like they're out Ballin'.

Reclining your seats in this manner negates the seat belt system. I will explain further down.

Some stickers may be opaque enough that they can be construed as tint. Tinting of your windshield is a no-no.

Under Car Neon Lights
So far there is no actual stipulation that I can find that governs under car neon lights.

Providing they are mounted properly and safely, I think you are fine, for now.

The only problem I can foresee is if the lights flash, strobe, blink, or change colours.

INTERIOR
In Car Entertainment (I.C.E.), L.C.D. Screens, G.P.S., Game Consoles
This is a relatively new concept covered under the laws. Under the Highway Traffic Act all screens for game consoles, DVD, LCD, and so on are not allowed if they are mounted in the front driver's compartment of the car.

So, if you have a PS2 game system or DVD player and the screens are visible to you as you are driving, it becomes a distraction to you and opens you up to a whole world of hurt if you are seen swerving over the lines of the road.

This I have seen and a Careless Driving Ticket hurts not only your record but also your pocket.

Any of this can be mounted in your car, out of your sight in the rear. This is how car companies equip their cars when bought with these upgrades.

This doesn't mean you cannot have these systems in the front. Just don't have them on when you are driving. But at car meets or drive-ins, they are a good way to take up time.

However, under the HTA, GPS, Navigational and Heads-up Display systems are exempt. Figure that one out.

Some people when they are so lost will pay more attention to the GPS systems than their driving.

Racing Seats and Harnesses
The addition of performance racing seats is something that not only increases the safety of the driver and passenger, but also looks pretty damn good.

The only problem here is if the seats are not mounted properly, which does occur with some sub-standard mounting jobs (from a gruesome experience) or if the harness system is not matched, attached, or used properly.

Using "Tap-con" style bolts for these seats just won't cut it.

Roll Cages
If you are going to get a roll cage, spend the money and buy one that mounts, attaches, secures to the actual interior body of the car.

Roll cages that are merely bolted on for esthetic looks may give a false sense of invulnerability and become entanglements when a high-speed collision occurs, and you run the risk of becoming impaled (again, from gruesome experience).

Reclined Seats and Seat Belt Systems
Ghetto-gangsta-style driving with your seat reclined waaaaaay back negates the proper use of your seat belt system and also reduces your field of vision when driving.

The original reason behind this concept was for gang-bangers to sneak by for their drive bys, drive through enemy territory without being recognized, and to reduce the chances of a headshot.

That's pretty well easy to figure out.

Interior Lights, Black Lights, Etc
Here this topic is open to interpretation. Just be wary of any interior aftermarket lights that flash, strobe, blink, or change colours in a fast cycle that are bright enough to be seen from out side, and may molest, annoy, distract, or be a nuisance to other drivers.

Especially any lights that are red, blue, or green, that are mounted on the front or rear dash boards.

Steering Wheels and Horns
If you choose to upgrade your steering wheel, so be it. Just make sure you hook up the horn when you are done.

Horns are part of your safety system and a requirement.

Other Stuff
Mufflers and Exhaust Systems
Mufflers and exhausts are no big deal really. They improve the performance and efficiency of your car.

Ensure you spend the money on a quality system rather than low-balling yourself.

There is a train of thought out there that changing your exhaust system will change the emission standard of your car. True this may occur, but I have never heard of it.

Just ensure you have your catalytic converter installed before you go for your emission testing.

Remember, the primary reason for having a muffler is to "muffle" or decrease the sound resonating from the exhausts system.

Changing your muffler to an aftermarket part that sounds like a bunch of bumblebees negates the purpose and is considered noise pollution.

If your car gets louder the faster you go, that's a good indication the Five-O may be laying some paper.

Intake Systems, Turbo and Super Chargers
Same as above, as long as it doesn't change the emission standards of your car, which I doubt it will providing you have purchased a quality product and installed them properly.

These systems are now being offered as upgrades or standard equipment for newer cars and are becoming generally accepted.

Besides, there are certain Police services in the GTA that have turbo/super-charged cars

N2O (Nitrous Oxide / "NOS")
Hands down, NOS is a Dangerous Good/Hazardous Material. This is one of the specifications that the new proposed legislation is going to target.

The government has a direct approach on NOS stating that no car on the road should have this installed for use, and that no car on the road has a use for NOS.

Nitrous Oxide is governed for transport under guidelines prescribed by:

Transport Canada - Safety and Security Dangerous Goods
Secretariat of Transport and Communications
U.S. Department of Transportation - Research and Special Programs Administration
CANUTEC - Canadian Transport Emergency Centre
And a few more less known entities.
Nitrous Oxide is regulated for transport under the Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act and the transport of this requires training and the proper signs/placards on the transporting vehicle.

The same sign on the bottle.

NOS has a listing in the Truckers Guidebook and Emergency Response Guidebook as I.D. #s 1070 and 2201.

Both of these books are available from The Compliance Centre.

How does this affect the lowly car-buff who wants a little more pep off the line?

Tell you the truth, I'm not sure as NOS is readily available and there are no specifics on having one or two bottle in your car.

If the government has anything to do with it though, I'm confident there will be tighter strings on NOS and its use.

So in order to posses and use NOS, you will have to have training. More money to the province. Go figure.

Spoilers and Wings
More and more owners are equipping their rides with spoilers and wings, from big to small.

Remember, spoilers and wings will change the aerodynamics of your car when operating at high speeds and trying to take those tight corners.

Make sure you buy from a reputable company and that the spoiler or wing has been tested for your car specifically.

This is more of a public service announcement. However there are some on the road that are so big and wide that they pose a risk to cyclists and pedestrians.

Tires and Rims
Nothing says "Dead Sexy!" more than a nice set of rims and tires on your ride. But you have to be wary though.

Driving in the Winter with Summer-performance tires will not only give you headaches but may also get you into an accident.

If the police investigate the accident, and an inspection is done on your car, and you are found to be driving without proper rubber, there is the chance you will be charged with Careless Driving.

Bald or "slicks" for tires are not street legal. Especially in the winter!

Rims. Nice and shiny. 16"-17"-18" rims, which are larger than stock may throw off your calibrated speedometer. You may think you're doing the proper speed, but the larger rims will actually have you faster and not properly reflected on your gauge.

Off the top of my head, I have no idea what cars this will affect, but I do know it does occur with larger trucks and vans.

Also, oversized tires that protrude beyond your fender are not allowed. If they do you require mud flaps.

Believe it or not, having no mud flaps is a charge.

Lowering of Cars, Ride Height, Skirt Packages
The lowering of cars is something you have to govern on your own. There is no real rule here for passenger cars, mostly for Commercial Motor Vehicles, usually because their gas tanks are more exposed on the under-belly and for load weight.

A car that is lowered as much so that the under side scrapes the ground, like your muffler or exhaust system should set off bells in your head, and can be pulled from the road for being unsafe.

The same if the suspension is too soft and the car bounces too much, or the wheels rub the inside of the wheel wells.

Also if there is debris on the road, and for whatever reason you cannot avoid it, rather than passing under your car, it may get caught on your front end or jammed underneath, causing more grief and damage.

RADAR and LiDAR Jammers and Detectors
Here in Ontario they are illegal and if you are seen with one while driving by the police, they will seize it.

Also if you try to hide it the police have powers to search your car in order to find it.

This goes for all dash, hood and license plate mounted devices.

Strobes Lights and Strobe Packages
They are fine to install on your car, but you cannot have them on while on the road, driving or parked.

Sparking of Cars (CarDemon)
Looking for that Ghetto Concept look while going over bumps? Not likely. That's all I will say about that.

Painting of Cars and Ownership
You have just painted your car a different colour than what you bought it as. Or you have just bought a new car second hand. You have six (6) days, including weekends to report this to the Ministry.

Believe it or not this is a common problem, and can save you hassles.

ENFORCEMENT ISSUES
The Highway Traffic Act governs all of this. This Act deals with the fluid and safe movement of motor vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians on public road and highways.

Right now there is a move to crack down on illegal street racing and unfortunately car-buffs that may be law-abiding are getting profiled against based on the style and modifications to their cars.

The Act covers all of the Province of Ontario but enforcement may be different wherever you go.

In the GTA this is being enforced more and more, and I am seeing a larger number of accidents that deal with cars that are not safe because of the above-mentioned issues.

However, some investigations and charges rely upon the experience and interpretation of the officer conducting them

Some may choose to ignore the blue lights and see them as a fad, and others will hammer you with paper due to newer and recent training, and the need to enforce the legislation.

Say you are stopped because of your loud tail pipe, unless the officer knows what to look for when looking for the catalytic converter, he won't find it. I know what they are and why we have them, but I'll be dammed if I know where every single car manufacturer installs them.

I can't give a specific answer to this as each person, their car, modifications, and police services and officers are different.

If this new legislation comes into effect, and "Prescribed Parts" become part of the issue, then you will see a boom in the way this type of thing is enforced.

Sometimes what it boils down to is whether an officer knows, thinks, or is unsure if a modification, no matter how small, is in breach of the HTA.

The legislation and rules are there. It's just whether they are used. Somewhere like Peel Region, where policing is not as busy, officers will have more time for enforcement.

But somewhere else like Toronto, where officers are strung out to their limits in manpower and calls for service, enforcement may take time.

However, a lot of this may go out the window.

If you install flashing coloured lights and strobes on your car so it looks like a UFO, or you have 20" rims on your P5, and you have a Sony Wega for your PS2 in the front of your car, just as long as you are not driving and on private property, you are pretty much safe.

Hence Car Shows!