Daytime running lights, and no front plates

[Mitch85]

Has anyone noticed the many vehicles driving around town with no plate on the front, and a BC plate on the back? Many of these vehicles are also not equipped with daytime running lights.

I thought part of the BC licensing process is for a vehicle to go through an inspection, and ensure it has everything required?

[Relentless]

Vehicles purchased in BC and registered in BC never have to be inspected unless an order of Inspection has been issued.
You will find hundreds, if not thousands of vehicles that are non-compliant in the Okanagan, and for all kinds of reasons.

Also, The RCMP do not purposely go out looking for non-compliance as everything is complaint driven.
Some people drive around with the front plate on the dash, and have older vehicles with no daytime running lights.
This is Kelowna, and really, anything goes. If you can imagine it, it happens here in the Okanagan.

[TheBoss]

Not all vehicles are equipped with DTR (daytime running lights) My 92 Towncar had no DTR, my 92 thunderbird is equipped with them. I forget which year cars in canada where required to have DTR as standard equipment. Plus not illegal to have no DTR depending on the year of the vehicle

[Bsuds]

I think it was mandatory for all vehicles made after 1990. But not sure when imported from out of country was mandatory or not.

[spooker]

When I imported a car from the States the cutoff that I saw on the documentation was in the 80s ... for both the front license plate and the DTR ...

[lesliepaul]

Not all world-wide car manufactures met the 1990 or whatever year deadline for DTRL's. The U.S. I believe to this day do not "require" DTRL's on even new cars. Honda started to supply cars to the U.S. with them in 2006 but are not mandatory.

[my5cents]

Has anyone noticed the many vehicles driving around town with no plate on the front, and a BC plate on the back? Many of these vehicles are also not equipped with daytime running lights.

I thought part of the BC licensing process is for a vehicle to go through an inspection, and ensure it has everything required?

There are lots of vehicles that for one reason or another don't have daytime running lights (DRL). A friend of mine has a Toyota and the DRL just stopped working.

He asked at a Toyota dealership and was told that a module was gone and it would cost $400 +/- to fix it.

He just drove it without, for a year or so. Then got pulled over by the RCMP in West Kelowna for not having DRL and given a checkup slip.

He went to his mechanic and he found that it was just a wire that had come off.

If a vehicle has BC plates that means it has already been inspected for registration in BC. That could mean that after being inspected the DRL failed. As for the missing front plate, that certainly isn't part of the exam for vehicles entering the province, because a vehicle won't get the plates until after it has passed.

We have a strange situation between Canada and the US. They don't have mandatory DRL, in fact at one time some states banned them.

BUT, they do mandate the every new vehicle must have a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

I think in Canada that's a great situation, if we have one or the two (DRL or TPMS), the DRL are a great safety feature, the TPMS nice to have but not a big a safety feature. Also for anyone who has or wants to mount their snow tires on an extra set of rims it REALLY increases the price, depending on the vehicle.

The way the TPMS work you need one sensor on each wheel, at a cost of $30 - $50 a wheel.

[GordonH]

1 of problems with daytime running lights is in evening a number of drivers don't relies they have not turned on their headlights. Since daytime running lights don't have taillights.
I see this way to often around the city, maybe the manufacturers should not include dash lights. They should only come on with once the headlights are turned on.

As for license plates in BC both front and back are mandatory.

[GordonH]

Deleted by poster due to duplicate post

[Bsuds]

Also for anyone who has or wants to mount their snow tires on an extra set of rims it REALLY increases the price, depending on the vehicle.

The way the TPMS work you need one sensor on each wheel, at a cost of $30 - $50 a wheel.

Not with Volkswagon. They use the ABS sensors to determine the tire speed.

http://www.donaldsonsvw.com/blog/how-do ... nsor-work/

When you put the snow tires on you go into the menu and tell the on-board computer and it adjusts accordingly.

[my5cents]

Not with Volkswagon. They use the ABS sensors to determine the tire speed.

http://www.donaldsonsvw.com/blog/how-do ... nsor-work/

When you put the snow tires on you go into the menu and tell the on-board computer and it adjusts accordingly.

Are you sure, or is VW lying ?

(I'm kidding)

[my5cents]

1 of problems with daytime running lights is in the evening a number of drivers don't relies they have not turned on their headlights. Since daytime running lights don't have taillights.
I see this way to often around the city, maybe the manufacturers should not include dash lights. They should only come on with once the headlights are turned on.

As for license plates in BC both front and back are mandatory.

As for my car, the dash light aren't on when the DRL are on. But I agree I see lots with the DRL when the lights should be on. Normally at dusk.

I have automatic headlights (they switch from DRL to normal lights, at dusk)

[dodgerdodge]

The front plate issue is an obvious one. Most of those sporting only the rear plate have come from Alberta and then registered their vehicle here as they are living and working here. Of course they have no fixing bracket on the front of their AB vehicle so never bother to fix it on even though they would have been given two plates at registration. 3 cars in my street were all AB plates and now have just one rear BC plate.

[Jflem1983]

My front plate is sitting on my outside table. Gasp

[Dizzy1]

As for my car, the dash light aren't on when the DRL are on. But I agree I see lots with the DRL when the lights should be on. Normally at dusk.

I have automatic headlights (they switch from DRL to normal lights, at dusk)

Many newer cars have a feature where the instrument lights (and its usually only the instrument dials that light up, not the controls, switches, etc.) dim as it gets darker outside as a reminder that your headlights aren't on.

As for front plates - time to get rid of them. Too many cars nowadays don't have a proper place for them anymore without blocking/disrupting airflow into the engine - and with turbo charged cars becoming more and more popular, good airflow into the radiator/intercooler is a good thing.