Q&A - Vehicle Advertising Wraps

My first reaction to this was that B.C. Transit does this on their buses, why shouldn't you do it on your Tesla?

I thought about it a bit further and came up with two possible areas of contention, one where the windows are covered and the other if the film is reflective.

There is a general prohibition against impairing the driver's ability to see:

Windshields and windows

7.05 (1) No person shall drive or operate on a highway a motor vehicle the windshield or any window of which is in such condition that the vision of the driver is impaired.

There is also specific prohibition against tinting film:

7.05 (8) No person shall drive or operate on a highway a motor vehicle which has affixed to or placed on the windshield or a window any material that reduces the light transmitted through the windshield or window unless the material is affixed to or placed on

(a) the windshield but not more than 75 mm below the top of the windshield,

(b) a side window that is behind the driver, or

(c) the rear window if the motor vehicle is equipped with outside rear view mirrors on the left and right side of the motor vehicle.

Your  comment raises an interesting thought, and that is how the top 75mm of the windshield would be measured. I suspect that everyone will lay a measuring tape at the top on the glass, measure 75 mm downward along the glass and make their decision. It is highly unlikely that they would measure down 75 mm from the top of the windshield and then perpendicular from there toward the glass surface horizontally to determine the limit.

I've checked both the regulations and the Superintendent's Standards and can find no instruction on how this measurement is to be made, although my experience has taught me that the AS grading marked on windshield glass surfaces follows the first method.

Moving on to reflective film:

The Superintendent's Standards state:

A lamp or cover that emits a reflection may be considered a reflector.

The inspector is directed to all compliance markings and required to reject if any reflector does not meet CMVSS/FMVSS, DOT/ SAE, or is labelled marked as such

The regulations don't prohibit reflectors specifically, but does have limitations:

Reflective devices

4.21    (3) Only amber reflectors may be mounted on the front or side of a vehicle.

(4) Only red reflectors may be mounted on the rear of a vehicle or on the side of the vehicle at or toward the rear of the vehicle.

Police vehicles are commonly marked with both white and blue reflectors and commercial vehicles with red and white reflectors. It appears that amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act Regulations have not kept up with practices required by other government regulations.

There may be other hurdles that I haven't considered. Checking with Vehicle Inspections and Standards would probably be a good idea to get the very latest information.