Transport Canada is taking action to rid the streets of “phantom vehicles.” Phantom vehicles refer to vehicles traveling at night in the dark sans headlights on. Outlining a new lighting standard, the Canadian Vehicle Lighting Regulation states that starting this month, all new vehicles sold must adhere to new lighting restrictions.
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According to the new regulation, new vehicles have to comply with one of three rules:
- When the daytime running lights are on, the taillights must turn on automatically.
- When the sun goes down, all exterior lights (headlights, side marker lights, and taillights) must automatically activate.
- To remind the driver to turn their lights on, the dashboard will remain dark until they flip the switch.
All new cars, heavy trucks, pickup trucks, motorcycles, SUVs, and three-wheeled vehicles must comply.
Driving in the dark or in bad weather without your lights on puts you and others around you at risk. It’s important for your safety and traffic around you to see and be seen.
Transport Canada encourages drivers to understand the following about how their lights operate.
“Automatic headlights only work if you set them on automatic. A bright dashboard doesn’t always mean that your headlights and taillights are on. Daytime running lights don’t give you enough light to drive safely in the dark or in bad weather,” reports Transport Canada.
Tips for driving at night
In addition to turning on your lights at night, be sure that your windshield is clean and free of dirt and streaks. Any grime will be magnified when you’re driving at night. You also want to keep your eyes from going right into the lights of cars coming toward you.
“When cars are coming at you, do your best to cast your gaze down and to the right, while focusing on the white line. This will prevent you from being temporarily blinded by their headlights,” according to iDrvieSafely.com.
Give yourself more space between traffic and lower your speed, and stay focused on driving. Distractions like the infotainment system, your smartphone, or even your passengers can draw your attention, putting everyone at risk. Since it’s harder to see at night, be sure to be more vigilant about scanning for pedestrians, too. Driving under the influence is never okay, and at night, it’s even more dangerous.
DeAnn Owens is a Dayton transplant by way of the Windy City, yet considers herself to be a California girl at heart even though she’s only visited there once. To get through the dreaded allergy season unique to the Miami Valley, she reads, writes, complains about the weather, and enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and their newest addition, a Boston terrier puppy that is now in charge of all their lives. In the future, she hopes to write a novel and travel through time. See more articles by DeAnn.
