Resources

The Canadian Vehicle Specifications (CVS) consists of a database of original vehicle dimensions, used primarily in collision investigation and reconstruction, combined with a search engine. The database is compiled annually by the Collision Investigation and Research Division of Transport Canada. The current release of the software is Version 2018.1, and is available for downloading as […]

Road vehicles dominate passenger travel and freight traffic. However, prior to the Canadian Vehicle Survey, no measures of total vehicle-kilometres or passenger-kilometres were available. The Canadian Vehicle Survey was developed at the request of Transport Canada to fill this data gap. The survey provides quarterly and annual estimates of the amount of road travel, broken […]

Since 1994 there has been active and close collaboration between representatives of governments and industry in both Canada and the United States in pursuit of developing and implementing uniform regulatory requirements for securement of cargo on highway transport vehicles. New regulations based on the North American Standard came into effect in Canada in January, 2005. […]

Many communities offer free car seat inspections to assist parents and caregivers on the proper installation of child restraints. To find out about these services in your community please contact: Transport Canada. > Back to Safety Sources

Modern vehicles may be equipped with multiple air bags and seat belt pre-tensioners which are pyrotechically operated. Such devices are deployed extremely rapidly and inadvertent deployment may result in injury to individuals in close proximity. Since not all of these systems are necessarily actuated in the event of a collision, first-responders must be alert to […]

Transport Canada has conducted extensive tests on side air bags with child crash test dummies. While testing is still ongoing, two main conclusions stand out: Children who are leaning against a side air bag when it inflates are at risk of serious injury. Children who are kept away from the path of the side air […]

If you own a vehicle, you know how important it is to keep it in good repair. You want your vehicle to be as safe to drive now as it was when it was new. But what if "good as new" is not good enough? Sometimes there is a problem with the way a vehicle […]

Tansport Canada’s Motor Vehicle Safety Directorate works with industry and government partners to make Canada's roads the safest in the world. Governed by the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Act and the Motor Vehicle Transport Act, we propose, apply and enforce national safety standards in three main areas: Safe Vehicles Child Safety Motor Carriers, Commercial Vehicles […]

The University of New Brunswick Transportation Group has developed a set of guidelines for the construction of road safety audits within a Canadian context. The document, available in portable document format (PDF), contains a description of existing practices, audit process, economies, legal issues, case studies, and a comprehensive series of checklists which reflect Canadian practices. […]

School bus transportation is incredibly safe, but does that mean seat belts are not necessary on school buses? Dr. Alan German, Chief of Collision Investigations in the Road Safety Directorate at Transport Canada, led a discussion surrounding seat belts and school buses at the Road Safety Conference in Winnipeg on Dec. 6, 2001. Participants in […]

Over the last 10 years, more than 30,000 people have died in motor vehicle crashes in Canada. These crashes generally don't grab national headlines. Unless you've lost a friend or family member, you might not even hear about them, but there are thousands of fatal collisions... year after year after year. If Canadians understood more […]

Walk Your Child to School Today is a programme that aims to get children to walk to and from school while accompanied by adults. Young children have limited capabilities to judge the speed and distance of traffic and may not be able to read street and traffic signs. Parents and caregivers must teach and reinforce […]