Transport Canada is busting ghost drivers
Transport Canada is clamping down on drivers who are not using their headlights in dark driving conditions.
The Government of Canada asked the department to step in and help address the issue of “ghost drivers” by creating a new vehicle lighting safety standard. The new standard, laid out by the Minister of Transport, Honourable Marc Garneau-requires all new cars sold in Canada as of 2021 to improve their visibility in low-light conditions.
The guidelines require manufacturers to build vehicles that either:
Have daytime running head and tail lights which come on when the car’s instrument panel is illuminated and the vehicle is in operation;
Have lights which automatically turn on in low-light conditions;
Keep the driver’s instrument panel dark so that they are reminded to manually turn on their lights.
Driving in the dark without the use of lights increases safety risks and can also land you with a minor driving infraction that could go on your driving record; in turn this can affect your insurance cost too. Although the new lighting standards will not be in practise until September 1 2021 there are ways you can improve your own driving safety right now, which can actually help you to save money on insurance while you’re at it. Keep your premiums low by checking your lights regularly to make sure that they haven’t blown, or consider talking to your local auto shop about the possibility of upgrading your lights to adaptive ones, which turn on automatically in low-light conditions.
Low light conditions also include severe weather such as fog or heavy clouds which can reduce visibility. It is hoped that the new safety standard will enable the creation of advanced lighting technologies for all conditions, that boost driver visibility without impacting oncoming traffic.