Street-legal vehicle
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Street legal or road legal refers to a vehicle such as an automobile, motorcycle, or light truck that is equipped and licensed for use on public roads, being therefore roadworthy. This will require specific configurations of lighting, signal lights, and safety equipment that need not be included in a vehicle used only off-road (such as a sandrail) that is trailered to its off-road operating area, or in race cars that are used only on closed race tracks and therefore do not need all the features of a street-legal vehicle. As well as motor vehicles, the distinction applies in some jurisdictions to track bicycles that lack street-legal brakes and lights. Street legality rules can even affect race car helmets, which possess visual fields too narrow for use on an open road without the risk of missing a fast-moving vehicle.[1]
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Canada [edit]
In Canada, the Highway Traffic Act in each province is a matter of provincial jurisdiction, although all ten provinces have followed a consistent set of national criteria issued by Transport Canada for specific equipment required as part of a street-legal vehicle. Laws regarding aftermarket items such as studded tires, snow tires and radar detectors vary widely between provinces.
Many but not all US-model vehicles do qualify for importation to Canada, but must meet requirements for items such as daytime running lights (standard on Canadian-market vehicles since 1991, but not required in the US), anti-theft immobilisers and anchorage points for child seats.[2]
United States [edit]
In the United States, the individual states have the authority to determine, by means of statutes and regulations, which types of vehicles are permitted on public streets,[3] as a function of the police power.
Most requirements are consistent between US states, with the notable exception of California emission control which has traditionally been more strict than that in other states.
United Kingdom [edit]
In the United Kingdom, vehicles must pass the Single Vehicle Approval (SVA) scheme, a pre-registration inspection for cars and light goods vehicles that have not been type-approved to British or European standards. Since August 2001, there have been two levels of SVA, those being standard and enhanced.
Some of the types of vehicles standard SVA is applied to include, but not limited to, a left-hand drive vehicle, personally imported vehicles, amateur built vehicles and armoured vehicles, to name a few. Vehicles which don't fall into one of the standard SVA categories, such as a vehicle of right-hand drive, will require enhanced SVA in addition to standard SVA inspections.[4]
References [edit]
- ^ Snell Helmet standards FAQ
- ^ The Registrar of Imported Vehicles, a private company under contract by Transport Canada, provides some information on which US-model vehicles are or can be made street-legal in Canada. Cars from other countries (such as the UK) typically do not qualify as standards are too widely divergent from those in Canada.
- ^ See American Motorcyclist for details
- ^ The UK Single Vehicle Approval Scheme
