1.Before you drive
- Before getting in, walk around the vehicle to check for children, pedestrians and anything in its path.
- Check that the tires are properly inflated, and look around and under the vehicle for fluid leaks and other problems.
- If you are parked along a roadway, walk around in the direction that lets you see traffic coming toward you in the next lane.
- Then follow 5 habits in this order: lock the doors, adjust the seat and seat back, adjust the head restraint, adjust the inside and outside mirrors, and fasten your seat belt.
- Locking the doors keeps unwanted people out and makes it less likely a door will fly open in a collision.
- When you are ready to go, check that your path is clear, check the mirrors and do a shoulder check of your blind spots.
- For the road test, the vehicle must be in working order: a valid licence plate and insurance, working lights, horn, speedometer, brakes and park brake, a clear windshield with wipers, and tires in good condition.
Official source: Basics of driving ↗ · Licensing information ↗
2.Seat, head restraint and mirrors
- Sit at least 25 centimetres (10 inches) from the steering wheel, the distance Transport Canada recommends, and make sure you can see over the wheel.
- Keep your elbows slightly bent with your hands at about 9 and 3 o'clock, and make sure you can work the brake and accelerator (and push a clutch pedal all the way to the floor).
- Set the head restraint so its centre is level with the top of your ears. If it tilts, bring it forward so the gap behind your head is less than 10 centimetres (4 inches).
- A properly positioned head restraint greatly reduces injuries in collisions and sudden movements. Check that each passenger's restraint is at the right height too.
- Adjust the inside mirror so the rear window is framed in it, and the outside mirrors so your own vehicle just shows in the edge nearest to it. This reduces blind spots.
- If the view through the inside mirror is blocked, the law requires an outside mirror on each side of the vehicle.
Official source: Basics of driving ↗ · Responsible driving ↗
3.Seat belts and air bags
- The law requires you to wear your seat belt. Worn properly, seat belts save lives, reduce injuries and give the greatest protection.
- Wear the lap belt low and snug over your hips, with the shoulder belt over your chest and shoulder.
- Never tuck the shoulder belt behind your back or under your arm.
- Air bags do not replace the seat belt: you must still wear it in a vehicle that has air bags.
- In Alberta every driver and passenger must be secured with a seat belt or an approved child safety seat.
- Passengers aged 16 or older can be fined for not being secured. The driver is responsible for, and can be fined over, any passenger under 16.
- Class 7 and Class 5-GDL drivers may not carry more passengers than there are seat belts.
Official source: Basics of driving ↗ · Responsible driving ↗ · Licensing information ↗
4.Child safety seats and booster seats
- Every child safety seat used in Canada must carry a label saying it meets Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 213. Do not use a seat without it, or one designed for another country.
- A child under 6 years old who weighs no more than 18 kilograms (40 pounds) must ride in a child safety seat, installed as the vehicle and seat manufacturers instruct.
- From birth, children ride rear-facing, in an infant seat or a convertible seat, until they reach the manufacturer's recommended weight for switching to a forward-facing seat.
- Forward-facing seats are designed for children of 10 to 18 kilograms (22 to 40 pounds), and the seat's tether strap and the vehicle's tether anchor must be used.
- Children over 18 kilograms (40 pounds) should use an approved booster seat before moving to the vehicle's seat belt alone.
- Newer vehicles and seats use the universal anchor system (UAS/LATCH). In older vehicles, the seat must be secured with the vehicle's seat belt.
| Seat | Child | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Rear-facing | From birth to the maker's switch weight | Infant seat or convertible seat, facing the rear |
| Forward-facing | 10 to 18 kg | Tether strap and tether anchor must be used |
| Child safety seat (the law) | Under 6 years and not over 18 kg | Must use one |
| Booster seat | Over 18 kg | Should use one before the seat belt alone |
Official source: Responsible driving ↗
5.Registration and insurance
- Every motor vehicle and trailer used on Alberta roads must be registered.
- Anyone under 18 needs a parent or guardian to sign the registration application, unless they can prove they are married or self-supporting. If the parent or guardian withdraws consent, the plate and registration are suspended.
- Licence plates stay with the vehicle owner and cannot be transferred to another person.
- If you move to Alberta, you must register your vehicle within 3 months.
- Every motor vehicle must be insured with a public liability policy under the Alberta Insurance Act, and driving an uninsured vehicle is illegal.
- Your insurer gives you a financial responsibility card (the pink card). Show it when you register the vehicle and whenever a peace officer asks for it.
- Carry your driver's licence, insurance and registration every time you drive. The government no longer mails renewal reminders, so renewing on time is up to you.
Official source: Licensing information ↗
6.Winter readiness and emergency supplies
- Have the vehicle serviced before winter. The battery, tires, exhaust system, windshield wipers and heating system should all be in good working order.
- Before you drive, clear snow, frost, steam and mud from every window and the windshield.
- Do not use cruise control in poor weather: on ice it keeps applying the accelerator and you could lose control.
- If you are stranded somewhere safe, it is usually safer to stay with the vehicle. Run the engine just enough to stay warm and open a window slightly, because a leaky exhaust can let in colourless, odourless carbon monoxide.
- Winter supplies to carry: blankets and extra clothing, sand or road salt, a shovel, a candle with matches and a deep can to hold it, an ice scraper and snow brush, and tire chains.
- All year, consider carrying a flashlight with extra batteries, a first aid kit, reflective triangles, booster cables, a tow rope, non-perishable food, a jack and inflated spare tire, and spare headlight bulbs.
- If you break down, turn on your hazard lights, raise the hood, and on a highway or other dangerous spot place reflective triangles behind the vehicle about 10 to 20 metres (33 to 66 feet) apart.
Official source: Emergency situations ↗
7.Fuel efficiency and fuelling safely
- Speed costs fuel: every 10 km/h above 90 km/h burns about 10 per cent more.
- Accelerate gradually and hold a steady speed. Rapid acceleration and speed changes can raise fuel use by as much as 40 per cent.
- If you will be parked for more than 10 seconds, turn the engine off. Idling is also a poor way to warm up in winter, because tires, steering and other moving parts only warm up once you drive.
- Put the block heater on a timer set to switch on 2 hours before you leave, not overnight. Used properly, it can improve fuel economy by as much as 10 per cent.
- Keep the vehicle maintained: a poorly tuned engine can use up to 50 per cent more fuel, a clogged air filter cuts efficiency by 10 per cent, and under-inflated tires add about 5 per cent and wear faster.
- When fuelling, turn off the ignition, do not smoke or use a cell phone, and stay by the nozzle so static electricity cannot ignite the vapours.
- Never prop the nozzle open, do not overfill the tank, and take portable fuel containers out of the vehicle and set them on the ground before filling them.
Official source: Responsible driving ↗
8.Towing a trailer
- A trailer needs its own valid Alberta registration, carried with you while towing, and a valid licence plate clearly visible on the rear, before it can be used on the road.
- Its tail lights, brake lights and turn signals must work and be operated from the towing vehicle. If the trailer is wider than the towing vehicle, you must use extension mirrors.
- With a ball-and-socket hitch, also attach safety chains, crossed under the trailer tongue and fastened securely. This applies to all trailers except fifth-wheels.
- Trailer brakes are required when needed for safe control, but not on a trailer with a gross weight of 910 kilograms (2,000 pounds) or less, or one weighing less than half the unloaded weight of the towing vehicle.
- Allow extra time and distance: accelerate and brake more slowly, leave more room when merging or changing lanes, and if traffic builds up behind you, pull off the road somewhere safe to let it pass.
- On turns the trailer wheels follow a path inside the vehicle's wheels (off-tracking), so steer toward the right side of the lane you are entering to avoid curbs, parked vehicles and pedestrians.
- When backing a trailer, have someone guide you, go no faster than walking pace, and turn the steering wheel the opposite way to where you want the trailer to go (right to go left).
Official source: Towing a trailer ↗