EDMONTON – A Couple in Morinville say they are stunned after receiving a ticket because they didn`t have mud huts on their truck. Shelley Jones and her husband bought their brand new truck two years ago, without mud flaps. It wasn`t until they received a $57 ticket that they learned that their vehicle is required by law to have mud shutters. Most car owners don`t follow Alberta`s mud shutter laws and, as a result, you may not see many vehicles that have mud shutters. However, since the minimum penalty is $85 and the price of a number of mud shutters is less than $100, it is usually better to make the investment and save money in the long run. Although provinces require mud shutters, Transport Canada does not require manufacturers to include them in new vehicles. Personal cars usually have larger recesses that cover the entire wheel. These are designed to trap debris thrown from the wheels and protect surrounding vehicles and pedestrians. In other words, there is no need to try to attach strainers to these vehicles. If the car is not designed to be compatible with sludge protection devices, trying to secure them can be dangerous. You can find the Alberta Vehicle Equipment Regulations on the Internet: The Alberta Vehicle Equipment Regulations can be found on the Queen`s Printer of Alberta website: www.qp.alberta.ca. Click on the menu tab: Online Laws / Catalog.
Look for the title of the Vehicle Equipment Ordinance. Click on the current version of the Vehicle Equipment Regulations. You can view it without buying it by clicking on „View PDF“ or „View HTML“. Although Alberta`s law is more specific than others, each province requires mud flaps on vehicles whose wings do not cover the wheels. „Retailer associations are proactively reminding retailers to educate consumers about this. It`s in our interest – we want to sell mud shutters,“ said Huw Williams, a spokesman for CADA. „Obviously, some people don`t remember being told, or it might be overlooked in a particular case despite all the effort.“ If your mud flaps are too small to do their job, it`s also possible that the police officer will treat them as if they weren`t there. If they are not functional, you will be fined as if you had no mud flaps at all. Wingless trucks covering their rear tires must have mud flaps. If your jeep or truck doesn`t have a mud flap, you could be fined, even if it came from the dealer that way. After being contacted by Global News, the dealership`s general manager agreed to reimburse Jones for all costs related to the ticket and mud shutters.
It`s also important to mention the fact that the shutters you get for your vehicle can be removed if you`re traveling off-road to prevent mud from accumulating on them. Alberta`s mud shutter laws only require you to attach them when driving on public roads. An important detail about mud shutters is the fact that they are required by the provinces and not by the government. This means that most manufacturers that manufacture and sell automobiles in Canada are not required by law to install fenders or inform customers that they are needed. „We should have been notified or informed of this equipment regulation to remove the vehicle from the parking lot, which we were never told when we bought the vehicle,“ Jones explains, adding, „That`s exactly how it came from the parking lot. He came without mud flaps. We were not even told anything about buying mud shutters or that it was an equipment regulation. It`s also important to keep in mind that if you`re stopped by the police and there are no mud shutters attached to your car, you could be fined $85 plus extras. Please note that the value of fines may change regularly and you may have to pay a different amount. Getting a pair of removable mud flaps for the rear wheels costs about $100, said Rae Telford, president of the Northern Alberta Four Wheel Drive Association (NA4WD).
In addition, it is easy to remove the flaps when you do not need them or when they need to be cleaned. Strainers are a great investment in every way, although we should ignore the fact that they are required by law. Fixing is easy and they are durable, so a set will last for several years. However, if you own a vehicle whose design makes it difficult to determine whether or not you need shutters, you should ask a police officer or lawyer who specializes in car-related matters. While you won`t always get a clear answer, they`ll direct you to online or offline resources that you can use to figure things out. Installing mud shutters on your vehicle is not enough to legally drive it throughout Alberta. The law also specifies which part of the profile these must cover and how they must be mounted to be effective. If you need more information about the type of shutters you should use, you can ask a mechanic.
These people usually keep abreast of changes in relevant laws and can recommend the right mud shutter model for your vehicle. And new car dealers aren`t legally obligated to tell you you you need mud flaps. Be careful when making changes to your vehicle. Even if the car has larger recesses or a large rear mudguard, you`ll need to attach mud flaps if you make some modifications to it. The most common modification that requires you to attach flaps to the rear wheels is to lift the center of mass of the vehicle. Other changes include changing the design of the wings or making serious changes to the car`s body. Earlier this month, Global TV aired a consumer complaint about Alberta`s vehicle strainer requirements on all vehicles except passenger cars. If you are stopped by a law enforcement officer and you do not have the right size of the mud shutters or they are not installed, there is a chance that you will only be fired with a warning.
However, you will be asked to replace the mud shutters so that they comply with local laws. It has been said, car manufacturers will generally not tell you that you need dirt mowers, but they are required to disclose this fact if you ask for it. This can be done by asking in one of the company`s forums or by going to the manufacturer`s official website and looking for a customer service number that you can call for more information. When lifting your car, usually remember that you need to compensate for the extra height and make sure that the rear tires should never be exposed to the cars behind you.