No mud flaps? It could cost you

EDMONTON – A Morinville couple says they are stunned, after receiving a ticket for not having mud flaps on their truck. Shelley Jones and her husband bought their brand new truck two years ago, without mud flaps. It was only after receiving a $57 ticket, they learned their vehicle is legally required to have mud flaps.

“(The officer) had pulled (my husband) over because he had broken an equipment regulation for not having mud flaps,” says Jones.

The regulation falls under Section 64 of the Vehicle Equipment Regulation. It states that the fender or mudguard must cover the entire width of the tire and extend down to the centre point of the rear axle.

“It all depends on the coverage of the fenders and the body of the vehicle and how much of the tire it’s covering,” explains Constable Wally Henry with Strathcona County RCMP.

The law deals with all vehicles however, Henry says they are usually more likely to catch commercial vehicles.

Jones says she bought the truck brand new and assumed it would come with everything it needed to make it legal to drive.

“We should have been warned or told about this equipment regulation to take the vehicle off the parking lot, which we were never informed when we bought the vehicle,” Jones says adding, “It’s exactly the way it came off the parking lot. It came without mud flaps. We were not even told anything about purchasing mud flaps or that it was an equipment regulation.”

Henry agrees. He believes dealers should know the rules and educate consumers about what they’re buying.

“They need to ensure that the vehicles that they’re selling to the public don’t contravene any of the regulations as far as equipment matters go,” Henry says adding, “Ultimately the consumer is going to end up paying the price for buying a vehicle that they believe, because the dealer is selling it to them, complies with the rules of the road when, in fact, it doesn’t.”

Jones says she called the dealership to inquire about the rules and ask for reimbursement but says she felt she was given the run around. In the end, she went out and purchased mud flaps on her own because she didn’t want to get another ticket.

Jones wants to urge drivers to learn the rules because in the end, drivers are the ones who are going to suffer the consequences. She also believes equipment laws should be taught in driver’s training.

After being contacted by Global News, the General Manager at the dealership has agreed to reimburse Jones of all the costs related to the ticket and the mud flaps.

This dealership and a number of others Global News spoke to had no idea the regulation even existed.

With files from Julie Matthews.