Hi Joel,

It's a ticketable offence under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act; the
book of rules governing the province where I live.

My wife's ex employer once tried to tell us it was legal to operate a
school bus with a broken speedometer, and we looked it up. Then they
were suddenly able to find a spare bus for her to drive for the day.

Would the police be able to test it without driving the vehicle? I doubt
it. Although the Ministry of Transport does have portable dyno's that
they use sometimes for on-the-spot smog testing; I bet you'd be caught
if they threw you on one of those.

My bus is a standard, so I could still drive to the tach if I wanted to,
but given the choice I'd just as soon have as much instrumentation
active as possible.

Happy Trails,

Greg Potts
1973/74/79 Westfakia "Bob the Tomato"
1987 Wolfsburg Weekender Hardtop
www.busesofthecorn.com
www.pottsfamily.ca

joel walker wrote:
>> OK, I tried fixing my odometer over the weekend but it's still not
>> working. Luckily the speedo is working OK, so I am legal for the
>> time being.
>
> ok, this has made me start thinking ... which, i know, is kinda
> dangerous at my age. ;)
>
> but not trying to be funny or anything, and since it is about vanagon
> speedometers (sorta) ...
>
> does anyone know for sure ... and i mean for certain ...
> that a working speedometer is required by law??
>
> fer real, now.
>
> i mean, if the state you live in has annual inspections, do they
> actually test the speedometer?
> how?
>
> and if, like me, the state you live in does not have inspections, how
> would the police know that your speedo didn't work (unless you happen
> to mention it)?  and if you did mention it, is that a ticketable
> offense?
>
> in 51 years of driving, i can't recall ever hearing of anyone being
> ticketed for having a non-working speedo. brakes, lights, tail lights,
> brake lights, bad tires, leaking gas, no bumpers, no doors (that was a
> hoot), no windshield (never did figure that one out), and even no
> wipers. but never no speedo.
> now, going over the speed limit, yes, definitely. but that's always in
> the judgement of the police or their radar unit. more often than not,
> their judgement.
>
> so does anybody know?
>
> no problem if you want to wait til Fryedaye to reply ... but if i
> don't get it out when i think of it, i'll forget it. :(
>
> unca joel
>

--

--
Happy Trails,

Greg Potts
1973/74/79 Westfakia "Bob the Tomato"
1987 Wolfsburg Weekender Hardtop
www.busesofthecorn.com
www.pottsfamily.ca