Holiday lights on cars might look cheerful, but...

December 16, 2025, Kitchener, Ontario

Posted by: Robert Deutschmann, Personal Injury Lawyer

Holiday lights on cars might look cheerful, but they can also create very real safety and legal risks on Ontario roads. When a crash happens, injured people are often surprised by how quickly a “fun idea” becomes a complicated personal injury claim.​

Festive car lights and Ontario law

Many Toronto-area drivers have started wrapping their vehicles in holiday lights, hoping to spread seasonal cheer on busy city streets. While there is no law that mentions “Christmas lights on cars” by name, Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act sets strict rules for how vehicles must be equipped and lit.​

Improper or distracting lighting can attract the attention of police and may lead to tickets for unsafe equipment or improper use of lights. More importantly, any modification that affects visibility or confuses other drivers can become a key issue in a personal injury lawsuit after a collision.​

How decorative lights can cause crashes

Wrapping a car in lights can increase the risk of an accident in several ways that injury lawyers regularly see in collision files. Even if the driver thinks the lights are harmless, other road users may be distracted or misled in a split second.​

Common safety concerns include:

• Glare or flashing patterns that distract oncoming drivers, especially at night or in bad weather.​
• Lights that obscure brake lights, turn signals, or licence plates making it harder to anticipate a vehicle’s movements.​
• Extra wires or devices inside the vehicle that interfere with mirrors, airbags, or the driver’s ability to control the car.​

When these factors contribute to a crash, insurers and courts will look closely at whether a “reasonable driver” would have installed those decorations at all.​

Liability and fault after a holiday-lights collision

In Ontario, fault for a motor vehicle accident is based on negligence, which means failing to take reasonable care to avoid harming others. If decorative lights are found to be unsafe or distracting, they can become evidence that a driver did not exercise reasonable care.​

That can affect:

• Fault allocation: A driver may be found partly or fully at fault if their lighting contributed to the collision.​
• Insurance coverage: An insurer might argue that unsafe modifications breached policy conditions and try to limit coverage.​
• Damages: If the injured person was the one who installed the lights, their compensation could be reduced for contributory negligence.​

Speaking with a personal injury lawyer early helps injured people understand how these issues may play out in their specific case.​

What injured people should do next

If you are hurt in a crash involving a vehicle decorated with holiday lights, the steps you take right away can protect your health and your claim. Even a seemingly minor collision can lead to lingering pain, lost income, and significant rehabilitation needs.​

Key steps include:

• Get medical attention immediately and follow up with your family doctor or a walk-in clinic to document symptoms.​
• Take photos or video of the scene, including the other vehicle’s decorations and lighting, before anything is removed.​
• Collect contact information for witnesses who noticed the lights or commented on how distracting they were.​
• Report the collision to the police and your insurer, and keep copies of all paperwork.​

Then, contact one of our experienced personal injury lawyers to review your options for accident benefits and any potential lawsuit for pain and suffering, income loss, and future care costs.​

About Deutschmann de Koning Law

Deutschmann de Koning Law serves South-Western Ontario with offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Brantford, Stratford and Ayr. The law practice of Robert Deutschmann and Nick de Koning focuses almost exclusively in personal injury and disability insurance matters. For more information, please visit www.ddinjurylaw.com or call us at 1-519-742-7774.