| sk8brdr40 |
is it illegal to shave your 3rd brake light? im building a SPL vehicle and shaving pretty much everything off of it except for headlights, tail lights, and door handles
the 3rd brake light is already gone, but im wondering if its legal to remove it? |
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| dtjohnst |
quote:
Originally posted by sk8brdr40
is it illegal to shave your 3rd brake light? im building a SPL vehicle and shaving pretty much everything off of it except for headlights, tail lights, and door handles
the 3rd brake light is already gone, but im wondering if its legal to remove it?
Good question. The law says:
quote:
If a motor vehicle has the following equipment or safety system installed by the manufacturer of that vehicle, the equipment or system must be maintained in good working order:
(a) an anti‑lock braking system;
(b) daytime running lamps;
(c) a centre high mounted brake lamp
The question would be, does saying it must be maintained in good working order mean you can't remove it? The phrase "installed by the manufacturer" seems to indicate you MUST have one if the manufacturer installed one, or maybe it means if you add an aftermarket one yourself it's ok to leave it in disrepair.
My personal opinion?
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18(1) A motor vehicle, other than a motor cycle or a moped, and the last vehicle in a train of vehicles must have at least 2 brake lamps mounted at the rear.
2 should be enough. But you might want to see what others say on the subject. This one seems ambiguous to me, so i think I'm missing something. |
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| MX5 Miata Guy |
| What document and section did you get the first blurb from? |
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| dtjohnst |
quote:
Originally posted by MX5 Miata Guy
What document and section did you get the first blurb from?
Vehicle Equipment Regulations. Para 3, titled "Required Maintenance". |
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| sk8brdr40 |
| yeah, i am quite unsure, i was looking around in a parking lot today, and it seems that only 2 other vehicles had no third brake light, its weird though, because im always watching for the two tail lights, and never really notice the third one anyways |
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| dtjohnst |
quote:
Originally posted by sk8brdr40
yeah, i am quite unsure, i was looking around in a parking lot today, and it seems that only 2 other vehicles had no third brake light, its weird though, because im always watching for the two tail lights, and never really notice the third one anyways
The question is did those cars come with a cnetre-mounted break light or not? If the manufacturer didn't make one, there's no need to have it. The question is does the law say you have to keep it, or just that if you do keep it you must ensure it works? And that's one I personally think means if you keep it you must ensure it works, but that you may remove it. I'm just not 100% on it. |
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| GOT BOOST |
quote:
Originally posted by sk8brdr40
is it illegal to shave your 3rd brake light? im building a SPL vehicle and shaving pretty much everything off of it except for headlights, tail lights, and door handles
the 3rd brake light is already gone, but im wondering if its legal to remove it?
Hi sk8brdr40,
Good question. Here is some food for thought. Sometimes when you purchase OEM rear spoilers they will have the "High Mount Centre cap" included. This is so you can remove the centre stop lamp and have a nice clean cover for where the hole used to be.
Granted the spoiler installed has lights in it, and they are usually LED.
I know my old 92 Sentra had that included when I ordered the OEM spoiler direct from Nissan.
Now here is the kicker. Can the third brake light infraction really be enforced if you remove the rear spoiler and leave the block off plate installed. Afterall this is OEM installed equiptment on some models.
I suppose that it may be a rule now that all vehicles must have a functioning middle tail light installed at the factory. I think it is up to you to determine if it is working on an ongoing basis. I see it as a saftey feature for the person in the pick up or semi truck tailgaiting you that you are going to stop, but I highly doubt that by the time they see it illuminated it will be too late for them to stop.
Personally I never look for the third tail light. I look for the tail lights and scan the road infront of the cars that are infront of me. I normally look for two brake lights behind a car. If they are not functioning when they apply the brakes, I change lanes and leave them behind like a bad dream. I never trust the drivers infront of me, I tust the road and the conditions and what I can see.
Mike |
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| dtjohnst |
quote:
Originally posted by GOT BOOST
Hi sk8brdr40,
Good question. Here is some food for thought. Sometimes when you purchase OEM rear spoilers they will have the "High Mount Centre cap" included. This is so you can remove the centre stop lamp and have a nice clean cover for where the hole used to be.
Granted the spoiler installed has lights in it, and they are usually LED.
I know my old 92 Sentra had that included when I ordered the OEM spoiler direct from Nissan.
Now here is the kicker. Can the third brake light infraction really be enforced if you remove the rear spoiler and leave the block off plate installed. Afterall this is OEM installed equiptment on some models.
I suppose that it may be a rule now that all vehicles must have a functioning middle tail light installed at the factory. I think it is up to you to determine if it is working on an ongoing basis. I see it as a saftey feature for the person in the pick up or semi truck tailgaiting you that you are going to stop, but I highly doubt that by the time they see it illuminated it will be too late for them to stop.
Personally I never look for the third tail light. I look for the tail lights and scan the road infront of the cars that are infront of me. I normally look for two brake lights behind a car. If they are not functioning when they apply the brakes, I change lanes and leave them behind like a bad dream. I never trust the drivers infront of me, I tust the road and the conditions and what I can see.
Mike
There's no law that says you have to have a spoiler either, so I would think that means if you remove the spoiler, and therefore a spoiler mounted brake light, you're in the clear. What about the ones mounted inside the rear window up high? If you can remove a spoiler and the associated light legally, you should be able to remove that one legally too. |
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| GOT BOOST |
quote:
Originally posted by dtjohnst
There's no law that says you have to have a spoiler either, so I would think that means if you remove the spoiler, and therefore a spoiler mounted brake light, you're in the clear. What about the ones mounted inside the rear window up high? If you can remove a spoiler and the associated light legally, you should be able to remove that one legally too.
Hi dtjohnst,
I see where you are going with this. It must be some sort of regulation or law to have any vehicle produced after a certain year to be required to have a third or middle brake light. Reason I say this is that every vehicle produced in the early 90's and newer have a centre mount stop light. But I could be wrong on that fact being a law for Canadian vehicles.
I would think that as long as the spoiler has a light installed in it, one is safe to remove the centre mount light inside the car, as long as the spoiler is installed in the car. I think with the older 90's vehicles, someone may be able to get away with removing the spoiler and or the centre stop light it, but on the vehicles produced 97+ I highly doubt it.
I do not have any facts to back this up, only my observations. Ie) Daytime running light laws, Air Bag Laws, etc. So following that logic it makes sense to me. I would love to know if I am incorrect so I can clarify any misunderstandings.
Mike |
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| dtjohnst |
quote:
Originally posted by GOT BOOST
Hi dtjohnst,
I see where you are going with this. It must be some sort of regulation or law to have any vehicle produced after a certain year to be required to have a third or middle brake light. Reason I say this is that every vehicle produced in the early 90's and newer have a centre mount stop light. But I could be wrong on that fact being a law for Canadian vehicles.
I would think that as long as the spoiler has a light installed in it, one is safe to remove the centre mount light inside the car, as long as the spoiler is installed in the car. I think with the older 90's vehicles, someone may be able to get away with removing the spoiler and or the centre stop light it, but on the vehicles produced 97+ I highly doubt it.
I do not have any facts to back this up, only my observations. Ie) Daytime running light laws, Air Bag Laws, etc. So following that logic it makes sense to me. I would love to know if I am incorrect so I can clarify any misunderstandings.
Mike
The only requirement for daytime running lamps is the same as what's listed in para 3 of the VER, if your car came with them installed, you must keep them in good working condition. Is the law here that if your car came with them you have to keep them? If so, then you have to keep a high mounted center brake light too, since it's the same reference.
The problem is that I was never trained in Alberta law (even though I worked a summer in Wainright, I was given basic moving and parking violation training, nothing on VER since I was only planning on being here for 3 months). I'm not sure what the legal interpretation of para 3 is.
Air bags aren't required by law. In order to manufacture or import a vehicle for the purposes of retail, you have to have an airbag. But it can be removed or turned off at will without any legal repercussions that I'm aware of. That was certainly the case in MB, and I see nothing to indicate otherwise in the TSA or VER. |
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