$250 fine in Ontario - true or false

[PaulD]

Originally Posted by PHS79

I guess its a good thing that I don't live in Canada, I always run with a ball mount in and I have had a couple of people tap it while sitting at stop lights/stop signs.

7-8 years ago I was driving our companys F450 dump truck, I stopped at a red light and got rearended. The guy must have been looking at the college girl who was out for a run and waiting to go across the the street, he must not have hit the brakes at all. He hit me hard enough that the pintle hitch went through his bumper, core support and most of the way through the radiator. Luckily the 450 has a 3/4" plate of steel that the tail lights, hitch and trailer lights are all in, the car was literally probably 8-12" shorter than before he hit me, all I had was a cracked tail light and busted the cover off the trailer light plug.

Just get yourself a bumber sticker that reads "If you can't stop, smile as you go under....."

Someone rearended my wife driving our truck and the combination of the higher truck and them hitting the brakes did a nice job of lining up thier hood/grill with the hitch frame. Ball adapter or not that car was toast!

PaulD

[Acableguy06]

This was proposed in MI. not sure if it went thru or not. Its at the bottom.
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/docume...2-HIB-5610.htm

[force]

Prior to having a TT, I would leave my 2" hitch in my F150 for so long I had to use a sledgehammer to break through the rust to get it out.

For that reason alone, I remove my hitch when not in use.

That said, if it's not obstructing your plate, the only thing you have to worry about are your shins.

[00buck]

If it's not illegal, it ought to be. I take mine out whenever I'm not towing. At 19+ feet long the truck barely fits in a parking space without the hitch. It's easy enough to remove and a matter of simple courtesy. The shin you save may be your own.

[QuietTimes]

It is interesting how things change state to state and province to province. Easy to break the law if you cross a border and have no idea on the small differences.

I was driving the Equinox when the gentleman approached me. The license plate on it is at least a foot higher than the hitch ball. So no issue there.

I might just stop into the local cop shop and ask them.

[TURBS]

Originally Posted by Brother Les

The Peoples Republic of Illinois thanks you for your money.

Lol not gettin my money!
I live on the west side of the big creek

[ridersfan]

I know that in Saskatchewan it is legal, and I leave a tri-ball sticking out of mine full time, I'd otherwise have to have that dirty old thing in the cab... and that would be quite a weapon coming at me if I were in an accident. I'd rather have it deter an accident when someone sees it sticking out and decide to not tailgate me.

Because it's a tri-ball, if you don't see it and hit your shin on it, you should have a seeing eye dog before you walk amongst vehicles again

[DDC]

If its illegal in Ontario they are missing out on a lot of easy money, most malls and big box type store lot are packed with them. I use to use a safari van from 1993 till 2001 and it had it in the whole time.

[Rstrahan]

Had a older Caddy with a hitch for a boat trailer. Knucklehead kid rear-ended me. We pulled into the store by the road. Not a scratch on my Caddy. Hitch had driven plumb through the radiator of the rice-burner the lid was driving. I just looked it over, smiled, and wished the kid a nice day as I drove off. Always keep the hitch ball in place.

[elind]

Originally Posted by force

Prior to having a TT, I would leave my 2" hitch in my F150 for so long I had to use a sledgehammer to break through the rust to get it out.

For that reason alone, I remove my hitch when not in use.

That said, if it's not obstructing your plate, the only thing you have to worry about are your shins.

I also left my hitch so long that the only I could get it out was to attach a chain to the hitch and the other end to the back of a semi trailer. Left a little slack in the chain and gunned it! Off it came. And no tickets for leaving it on.

[trudinator]

Originally Posted by Rstrahan

Had a older Caddy with a hitch for a boat trailer. Knucklehead kid rear-ended me. We pulled into the store by the road. Not a scratch on my Caddy. Hitch had driven plumb through the radiator of the rice-burner the lid was driving. I just looked it over, smiled, and wished the kid a nice day as I drove off. Always keep the hitch ball in place.

I was in a drive thru today, waiting for my order when I felt the truck move slightly. The guy behind me in some little throw away car hit my hitch. We're camping this week, so its on the truck. I got out and he told me he hit my hitch. No damage to either vehicle, but if he would have done this at road speed, he'd have been parked under my bumper. Don't know how people feel safe in those glorified go carts.

[Terier]

I got rear ended on the freeway with all of the impact directly on the hitch. I don't remember blacking out but I don't remember if we were moving or stopped. I hit the back of my head on the headrest hard enough to straighten out the curve in my neck.

I found some research relating to impacts on a hitch and according to it the impact is 2 & 1/2 times stronger.

[Oaklevel]

If SW Virginia everyone leaves their hitches in....never know when you might need it............ Don't see too many hitches without them....... I would rather leave it in the receiver than have it in the cab to become a missle....

Was on a 2 lane highway a few years back had to stop for a guy turning left...... the Ford Probe behind me decided to see if he could become a probe........Hit my F250 in the rear..... Got out bent my light plug back to the correct position....... then helped the other guy pick up the front end of his Probe all over the road up to his radiator ......headlights & everything all over..... Most of his damage was from the step bumper........ He would have ran up further under the rear of the truck had it not been for the hitch............

[WFD]

It is illegal in Manitoba...in fact this past summer our Boys in Blue, decided to go on an enforcement spree.....right around the time the Police Dept budget was depleted..no coincidence at all...lol...and many people got written up for it and the fine is right around the $200 mark....other than that time this summer,,,,it pretty much goes ignored, and many many people run with the hitch in the receiver all year long...its all good till the next cash crunch!!!

[Sgt. Schultz]

Originally Posted by WFD

It is illegal in Manitoba...in fact this past summer our Boys in Blue, decided to go on an enforcement spree.....right around the time the Police Dept budget was depleted..no coincidence at all...lol...and many people got written up for it and the fine is right around the $200 mark....other than that time this summer,,,,it pretty much goes ignored, and many many people run with the hitch in the receiver all year long...its all good till the next cash crunch!!!

.
In Manitoba there is no requirement to remove the receiver -- the requirement is for the driver to ensure the license plate is unobstructed and clearly visible on the vehicle when not towing or if it (receiver) sticks back approx 1 meter have it flagged etc per
http://www.mpi.mb.ca/en/PDFs/TrailerSafety.pdf
&
http://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/regs/pdf/....88.pdf#page=1
15(3)
No person shall drive or operate on a
highway a vehicle or combination of vehicles if a part
of the vehicle or combination, or its equipment or
load, projects more than 1 m beyond the rear of the
vehicle or combination, unless
(a) when the vehicle or combination is operated
between the hours of sunrise and sunset, a red
flag not less than 30 cm square, visible at a
distance of 60 m, is displayed at the end of the
projection; and
(b) when the vehicle or combination is operated
between the hours of sunset and sunrise,
(i) a red light that is clearly visible from a
vehicle approaching from the rear is placed
at the end of the projection, or
(ii) a red reflector that will be illuminated by
the headlights of a vehicle approaching from
the rear is placed at the end of the projection.

[dwaynerz]

(12) Where a trailer hitch is installed, the trailer hitch, hitch mounting and connecting devices for safety cables and chains shall be inspected and tested

does that mean with ones knee/shin? i have tested mine before if thats the requirement.

[tugger]

In Nova Scotia if the hitch is in and the DOT truck sees it you will be stopped, I know this first hand.

[Oaklevel]

So I assume that would only apply to receiver type hitches not the class one or two that can not be easily removed with out unbolting them from the vehicle ???? I know that you don't see them as much but they are still out there.

[jevanb]

I leave mine in all the time execpt when I have the 5er attached, I have busted my shins many times, and the wife has been hit in the rear lots at school picking up the kids. their vehicle has a hole or big bent , the hitch just needs a little touch up with a sharpie

[ChooChooMan74]

My WDH sticks out about 5" past my spare. Just enough room to hitch the camper without removing it. My 1 7/8" is under my spare tire. I have to open the tailgate to hitch and unhitch the utility trailer. One or the other stays on all the time. All depends on which trailer I used last. I like the wdh one in. Protects the spare from being pushed through the tailgate if rearended.