Beginner Driver Education · The Vehicle and Its Components
Enhance Your Driving Safety with Visibility Devices
Driviology Road Safety Education Team
What this actually means for you
You cannot react to what you cannot see, and a surprising amount of visibility is equipment: wipers and washer fluid, defroster and defogger, mirrors, lights, and the back-up camera. These devices only help when they are clean and working — a smeared windshield in low sun can hide a pedestrian as effectively as fog.
Top Devices for Improved Driver Visibility | Safety on the Road
This section will discuss the devices that aid with visibility. Drivers must ensure that these devices are clean and in working condition at all times.
Defroster
This device thaws frost from windshields and ensures visibility, even during cold winter conditions.
Defogger
Defogger clears condensation from windshields.
Wipers
Usually found on stocks on the steering wheel's right-hand side, the driver can turn them on to clear the windshield of water and ensure visibility. Wipers typically have several positions with different speeds.
Washer fluid
The driver uses washer fluid to spray the windshield to clean it using the wipers. Pull the wiper stock up to activate this.
Back-up camera
Used to provide visibility when reversing, the backup camera gives a view of the rear. It is essential to ensure that this camera is clean.
Headlights
Activated by stock on the steering wheel's left-hand side, lamps illuminate the road ahead.
Make sure these lamps are in working condition before going on the road.
Headlights have different intensities – High beams and low beams. The driver needs to dip(lower) the beams when traffic comes from the opposite direction, as you do not want to blind other road-users.
Daytime Running lights
Their primary purpose is to ensure the visibility of the vehicle to other road-users. When the engine turns on, they turn on, so there is no physical button to turn them on.
Sun visor
Sun visors located above the driver protect the drivers from glare from the sun.
Using this on Ontario roads — and on your road test
Ontario weather makes this a weekly habit, not a yearly one: clear snow and frost off every window before moving (not just a porthole), top up washer fluid in winter slush season, and replace wiper blades when they start streaking. Before a road test, check that all of it works — an examiner expects a car you can see out of, and in winter you may be asked to demonstrate the defroster.
Questions drivers ask us
What are visibility devices in a car?
The equipment that keeps your view clear and makes you visible: wipers, washer fluid, defroster and defogger, mirrors, headlights and other lights, and aids like a back-up camera.
How do I stop my windows fogging up while driving?
Use the defroster/defogger settings, keep the inside of the glass clean, and clear frost and snow fully before driving.
Can snow on my car get me in trouble in Ontario?
Driving with your view obstructed by snow or frost is dangerous and can draw a charge — and leaving snow to blow off onto other drivers is inconsiderate.