Kelowna RCMP issue 31 tickets in April for illegal lift kits, tinted windows and loud mufflers

Kelowna RCMP is warning drivers not to install illegal lift kits, tinted windows or loud mufflers that violate the B.C. Motor Vehicle Act.

Sgt. Mark Booth of the Kelowna RCMP municipal traffic section said there’s a problem on Kelowna roads with defective vehicles that pose safety risks.

“We continue to see illegal vehicle modifications in the Central Okanagan,” Booth said.

“These modifications often don’t meet the safety standards of the Motor Vehicle Act and its Regulations and can put the occupants of the vehicle, and the rest of the motoring public at risk.”

Traffic enforcement officers say a common modification encountered by police is the illegal raising or lowering of a vehicle’s suspension height by more than 10 centimetres from the specification of the vehicle manufacturer.

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Regulations state that modified vehicles cannot be driven, operated or parked on a B.C. highway until they have been inspected by a certified inspector at a designated facility.

As for tinted windows, no materials that reduce the amount of light transmitted through a vehicle’s window can be affixed more than 75 millimetres below the top of the vehicle’s windshield, a side window that is not behind the driver, or the rear window if the vehicle is equipped with an outside rearview mirror.

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Drivers and motorcyclists should also beware that aftermarket exhaust systems or no muffler at all that creates excessive noise can subject them to a fine or notice to rectify the issue.

In April alone, law enforcement officers of the Central Okanagan municipal traffic section issued 31 violation tickets or notices.

Kelowna RCMP said Mounties will be conducting projects throughout the remainder of the month to keep an eye out for defective vehicle violations.

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“We all have a responsibility as vehicle operators to ensure the safety of our community,” said Booth.

“Part of that is making sure that any vehicle we have is in compliance with the safety standards of the province.”