Vehicle Features and Ontario Regulations aimed at Vehicle Safety

Motor vehicle safety is a product of Ontario safety legislation and enforcement, vehicle safety features and safe driving practices.  

Motor vehicle safety in Ontario covers a broad array of issues and various types of transportation. Motor vehicles as a category includes cars, motorcycles, pickup trucks, package delivery trucks, ATV’s, 18 - wheelers and many more. Most safety issues for cars and trucks come under the jurisdiction of provincial legislation and enforce such elements as child car seat regulations, seat belt requirements and tire tread minimums. Pertaining to motorcycles, safety features include helmet laws and vehicle manufacturer standards, reflector tape and lighting. 18 wheelers are subject to speed restrictions and also required to check in and be weighed every so often when on major highways to ensure that their load is within the maximum weight permitted and that it is distributed properly. Each type of motor vehicle has its own unique set of safety issues to address and laws and penalties are in place to make sure that they do.

There is substantive research that proves that anyone wearing a seat belt and children in proper child seats are under a lower risk of injury in accident than unbelted vehicle occupants.  This finding is particularly persuasive for certain types of accidents, such as rollovers, where unbelted vehicle occupants are at high risk of being thrown from a vehicle and fatally or catastrophically injured. 

The penalty for child seat violations in Canada is the same as for not wearing a seat belt. The driver of the vehicle will face a fine of up to $2000 and two demerits for 2 years for each child not riding in a properly installed child safety seat.  Under Ontario law, drivers are also responsible for ensuring that any passengers under the age of 16 are properly wearing a seat belt.  Passengers 16 years of age and older are responsible for themselves to comply with seat belt laws.

Under the Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Act, tires for all road vehicles must meet certain safety specifications.  Tires should not be more than 10 years old.  Tire tread depth must meet or exceed the manufacturer's minimum recommendations and tire size cannot be smaller than recommended for a vehicle.  Tires must be replaced when the tread is less than 1.5 millimetres deep or if the tread-wear indicators begin to touch the road.  Effective on July 1^st, 2016, any used cars sold in Ontario will be required to meet stricter standards for tires as well as many other components associated with a vehicle’s safety.

Winter or snow tires have been proven to have better traction and when driving in temperatures colder than 7 degrees Centigrade.   For this reason alone, Ontario drivers can improve the safety of their vehicles and reduce the likelihood of a collision by having winter tires installed.  Currently snow tires are mandatory during the winter months only in Quebec and limited areas of Alberta and British Columbia, but not in Ontario.  However, effective in January 2016, insurance companies are obligated to give vehicle owners a discount on their car insurance policy if they have winter tires installed on their vehicle(s).   

Motorcycle helmet laws are in place to prevent or lessen traumatic head injuries and save lives. Canadian helmet laws are similar in all 10 provinces and three territories. In Ontario, the fine for failure to wear a helmet is about $100 plus $10 court costs.

Delivery trucks are numerous in Ontario municipalities and on highways, and are subject to the same safety laws as other motor vehicles. One law that particularly effects delivery vehicles pertains to stopping in places such as a no parking area, to run in and deliver a package. The penalties for illegal stopping and forcing other motorists to go around them, sometimes into oncoming traffic, is a $150 ticket and an impounding fee. Daily impounding fees for delivery trucks can add up to more than $1000.

Safety issues for 18-wheelers include their exclusion from certain city roads. One of the recent safety initiatives is the "how's my driving" stickers that are placed at the rear of 18-wheel tractor trailers. Motorists are encouraged to call a toll-free number to report big rig drivers that are observed performing unsafe practices. Big rig operators are required to weigh in and report their cargo each time they drive on open highway.  Also, the particular danger of catastrophic collisions involving heavy trucks has resulted in Ontario legislation that limits heavy trucks such as 18-wheelers to speeds not exceeding 105 kilometers per hour.

Regardless of the type of motor vehicle you are operating, speed limit, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and distracted driving regulations and laws apply. The number of fatalities caused by violations of these three categories of motor vehicle safety far surpasses all other motor vehicle safety categories combined. The most significant and tragic costs when violating motor vehicle safety regulations is not property and vehicle damage, which may be significant in itself, but the personal injuries and loss of life that can result from unsafe practices.  Motor vehicle safety standards are in place to protect all road users.  All Ontario drivers and passengers need to keep abreast of Ontario regulations governing vehicle safety and driving practices, as we are all responsible and accountable for road safety.