More visibility for new cars will enhance safety
Summer has turned into fall, which means it gets dark earlier, leaves are falling and making roadways slick, and soon, little creatures in costumes will be coming out at night to celebrate Halloween.
In the midst of all of this, people are unknowingly driving “phantom cars” that may be putting their lives and those of pedestrians or trickor-treaters in danger.
All new vehicles sold in (or imported into) Canada and built after 1989 are fitted with daytime running lights that go on when you start the vehicle, yet many drivers assume their tail lights are also illuminated when darkness falls.
Likewise, drivers who use a car share or a rental car, often find a vehicle’s gauges are illuminated, giving them a false confidence that the headlight is in the auto position, when a previous driver may have switched it to the off position.
In recent years, many concerned Canadians have raised concerns with Transport Canada that drivers appeared to be unaware that their tail lights are off. Vehicles that have the automatic feature switched on to illuminate their dashboard and front headlights forget to manually switch on their lights in dark conditions, resulting in their rear lights not being seen from cars approaching behind them.
To its credit, Transport Canada has taken action by establishing a new safety standard that requires all new cars sold in Canada from September 1, 2021 onward to be more visible in low-light conditions.
Transport Canada also partnered with the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) to create a public awareness campaign about vehicle lights called “See And Be Seen.”
The focus of the campaign is the new headlight regulations that will put an end to so-called “phantom vehicles.”
Interestingly, Consumer Reports has added a new ranking category to their vehicle reviews around good headlight visibility, based on new testing data and rankings from the Institute of Highway Safety.
The new safety standards will be formally implemented in 2021 to give automakers the time they need to make the required changes in new models.
While the new auto regulations won’t come into force for a few years, drivers should be aware that they could be ticketed for driving without headlights and tail lights in low visibility conditions.
In the meantime, a rule of thumb is to turn your headlights on at dusk or dawn, or during inclement weather – knowing that in less than three years, Canada’s new car manufacturing standards will make phantom vehicles ghosts of the past.
Have a safe and Happy Halloween and watch for all those trick-or-treaters on our roads.