The SAAQ has instituted a new rule targeting lowered vehicles in Quebec which effectively prohibits the practice. The new rule falls under the grand excès de modification (GEM) law where certain modifications are deemed more dangerous and the penalties are much higher.
The new rule went into effect at midnight on April 1, 2015 and reads:
Définition d’un grand excès de modification
Une personne commet un grand excès de modification lorsqu’elle conduit un véhicule dont la suspension est modifiée.
Personne, pas même un bon conducteur au volant d’un véhicule, ne peut rouler avec une suspension modifiée sans augmenter le risque d’accident, pour lui comme pour les autres usagers de la route. Plusieurs études ont d’ailleurs démontré que rouler avec une suspension modifiée augmente de façon considérable le risque d’accident.
The rule also works to ban raised pickup trucks so it’s sure to cause absolute pandemonium for motor enthusiasts of all types.
What’s worse is the fine! A person caught driving on the road in a vehicle with a modified suspension is subject to a minimum fine of $2999, 9 demerit points and an immediate towing of the vehicle.
“I really wanted to follow in the footsteps of Julie Boulet, who was responsible for such achievements as banning the registration of right-hand drive vehicles in Quebec”, said Robert Poeti, Quebec’s Transport Minister when asked about the new law.
“Boulet did a great thing cleaning our roads of those crappy cars and now I want to finish the job by getting rid of all modified vehicles.”
It’s still unclear how exactly a police officer will determine if a vehicle has a lowered suspension or not. Poeti floated the idea of just relying on the officer’s trained eye sight.
“You can easily tell if a car has been lowered. You just need to look at it”, Poeti said.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is your April Fool’s joke for 2015.