Handbook study course › Your Vehicle
Your vehicle
Keeping your vehicle safe to drive, insurance and registration, and carbon monoxide safety.
11 key points from this part of the handbook. Read them, then practise; every point comes from the explanation of one of our practice questions.
Maintaining your vehicle
- Use four winter tires (or all-weather tires) with the same tread pattern. Mixing tires can make the car handle unevenly and skid.
- Replace tires when the tread is less than 1.5 mm deep or when the tread-wear indicators touch the road.
- Rubber ages even when a tire is not used. Tires should not be more than 10 years old, even if the tread still looks good.
- Squeaking or grinding when braking can be a sign of a brake problem. Have it checked so your brakes stay safe.
- A winter kit with a shovel, booster cables, flares or warning lights, a blanket, warm clothing and food helps if you get stuck or stranded.
- You need a clear view all around the vehicle, and your lights must be visible to others. Clear all snow, ice and dirt before you go.
- In winter, windows and vents are often closed. Exhaust contains carbon monoxide, an invisible, odourless gas that can kill, so have a noisy or rattling exhaust checked.
Vehicle insurance and registration
- All Ontario vehicles must carry at least $200,000 in third-party liability insurance. It pays if you injure or kill someone or damage their property.
- Third-party liability insurance is mandatory, but collision coverage for your own vehicle is a choice, not a legal requirement.
- You must carry the pink liability insurance card for the vehicle you are driving, whether it is yours or someone else's.
Carbon monoxide safety
- Exhaust contains carbon monoxide, an invisible, odourless gas that can kill. Never run a vehicle in a garage, even with the door open; move it out right after starting it.