WRPS crack down on modified and unsafe vehicles through training course

The Waterloo Regional Police Service (WRPS) is hosting its third annual Modified Vehicle Course, which cracks down on unsafe and modified cars.

The initiative was started in 2023 by the traffic services unit, and in addition to enforcement, local officers provide education to other police services.

“Since 2023 we have been able to train 81 officers from 12 different policing agencies,” said WRPS Constable and Public Information Officer, Chris Iden.

The goal of the three-day course is to make roads safer and train other police services on what to look out for.

The first two days of the program involve an academic course and on the third day, practical traffic stops are conducted to locate modified and unsafe vehicles.

Iden said some modifications are legal, but others aren’t.

“Any time a vehicle is being modified, it still needs to comply with requirements under the Highway Traffic Act,” he explained. “We live in a time where you can purchase items online from overseas and other countries, which may not be appropriate for our provincial highway act. So when these modifications are being done, in some situations, they’re making your vehicle unsafe, and this is what we’re trying to address.”

Some of the most common problems police see are modified mufflers, issues with brake systems, tire defects or improper tires, or licence plate covers.

“We may see something that could be a very obvious modification, or we might come across something where a repair was done and officers want to make sure that was done properly,” Iden said.

This year’s training course involves members from eight services in Ontario, including four from different provincial police detachments.