North Bay police crack down on illegal vehicle modifications

Drivers in North Bay with tricked-out vehicles be warned: the police are on the lookout.

In a news release Monday, North Bay police said they have launched an enforcement campaign focused on unsafe vehicle modifications and unsafe driving habits.

In particular, police will be looking for:

• Excessive tinting of rear passenger windows and windshield. Any tinting of front driver- and passenger-side windows and the front windshield;

• Unreasonably and unnecessarily loud vehicle noise including from mufflers or squealing tires;

• Driving without a muffler in good working order;

• Headlight covers and alterations that produce colours other than white or amber;

• Bald tires (defined as vehicle tires that are worn below 1.5 mm in two adjacent major grooves);

• Oversized or overly wide tires and tires that do not have at least a one-inch clearance from any part of the vehicle;

• Driving without a front license plate or with the front license plate displayed inside the vehicle (this does not apply to motorcycles);

• License plate lighting in colours other than white;

“All the above-listed offences carry fines of $85 to $110 depending on the offence,” police said.

“Locations and violations targeted for enhanced enforcement are decided based on intelligence gathered by members of the North Bay Police Service as well as information provided by members of the public. Whenever a resident of North Bay calls in a traffic complaint to the North Bay Police Service, that information can be used to identify trouble spots within the city.”

Police have set up a dedicated email where the public can send traffic and related complaints.

“The public are our best support in addressing ongoing traffic violations,” Insp. Jeff Warner said in the release.

“By providing that information to the North Bay Police Service via our dedicated traffic complaint e-mail address, the residents of North Bay can help us better target dangerous drivers and keep our roads safe through our intelligence-led model of policing.”

Information can be sent to the North Bay Police Service by e-mail or by calling the police general line 705-497-5555. Press ‘5’ to reach the traffic office.