The best example I have seen recently of a vehicle with safety problems was an old Ford pick-up that passed me going north on I 71 in Kentucky. The sound of the open exhaust pipe got my attention, but the sight of the driver wearing ski goggles because there was no windsheild really made me look twice, and the fact that it was raining and blowing a gale at the time only made me laugh all the harder!!!!
Did I mention that the bed of this pick-up was being held on by a loading strap wrapped all the way around the frame? The truck also had one working headlight, and no lights at all on the rear. I saw this vehicle on I 71 in Kentucky, and later on I 75 in Ohio, so he was on a long distance trip not just going to the 7-11 near home.
I live in , and work from Ontario, and I keep on trying to alert you folks that Ontario is very strict on vehicle safety, and enforcement officers will not accept any excuses. As for cross-border relations, just ask any Canadian expediter about their experiences with US Customs officers, or other officials with various state or county agencies. We expect that US vehicles will be treated fairly by Canadian officials, but do not expect any special favours. A cracked windsheild, if the crack is longer than 6 inches, or extends into the drivers side of the glass, is an offence under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, regardless of where your vehicle is registered. One of the ways that law enforcement officers are trained to detect vehicles that are not insured, is to look for late-model cars or trucks that have body damage that is old, and is not repaired. This also applies to cracked glass. If you have proper insurance coverage, it will include glass replacement, if you don't have insurance, maybe thats why the damage is still there, and the nice policeman wants to talk to you.
Jim Bunting Field Editor..
