Earlier this month, Global TV aired a consumer complaint dealing with Alberta vehicle requirements of mud flaps on all vehicles with the exception of passenger cars.
The next morning on August 9th, the MDA met with the Alberta Director of Vehicle Safety to discuss the issue of mud flaps, window tint, and high intensity discharge (HID) lamps. At this meeting it was agreed that Alberta Transportation would produce an information bulletin to distribute to dealership sales & service staff in order to inform consumers of Alberta vehicle equipment regulations.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mud flaps: Section 64 of Alberta’s Vehicle Equipment Regulation requires a motor vehicle or trailer to have mud flaps. A mud flap must cover the width of the tire and come down to the centre of the axle. A mud flap is not needed if the body of the vehicle comes down to the centre of the axle. Passenger cars do not require mud flaps.
The picture on the left shows an acceptable mud flap coming down to the centre of the axle. The picture on the right shows a truck rear wheel without mud flap, and the shaded area the mud flap must cover.
Window Tinting: Section 72(1) of Alberta’s Vehicle Equipment Regulation prohibits the installation of a tinting film on the windows to the left and right of the driver and the windshield. Adding a tinting film reduces the driver’s ability to see and be seen in dark or poor weather conditions. The tinting film also reduces the safety performance of the glass in a collision.
Aftermarket High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lamps: Section 4 of Alberta’s Vehicle Equipment Regulation requires headlamps to meet either federal or SAE standards. We are not aware of any aftermarket HID headlamps meeting these standards. It can be dangerous to install HID bulbs or kits in a headlamp assembly built for halogen bulbs. Factory HID headlamps are OK.
You Can Find Alberta’s Vehicle Equipment Regulation on the Internet:
Alberta’s Vehicle Equipment Regulation can be found on Alberta’s Queen’s Printer’s website: www.qp.alberta.ca. Click on the menu tab: Laws Online / Catalogue. Search by title for the Vehicle Equipment Regulation. Click on the current version of the Vehicle Equipment Regulation. You can view it without buying it by clicking on “view PDF” or “view HTML”.