According to the department of Transport, a gap in federal regulations resulted in millions of unsafe vehicles on Canadian roads. .According to Blacklock’s Reporter, they have identified up to 6.6 million vehicles categorized as “unsafe” being operated by unsuspecting owners..“It is estimated up to one in five vehicles in use on Canada’s roads has an unresolved safety recall,” the department wrote Saturday in a Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement. .“Based on the 33.3 million registered vehicles in 2019, this means that approximately 6.6 million unsafe vehicles are still circulating on Canadian roads, potentially endangering not only the occupants but also other road users.”.According to the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, automakers are mandated to tell dealers and buyers about safety recalls. .However, many of these recalls remain unresolved, particularly when it comes to used vehicles with expired warranties. .According to official estimates, the average age of road vehicles in Canada is around 11 to 12 years..“Older vehicles are more likely to have unresolved recalls,” said the Analysis Statement. .“Several reasons could account for this, including a change of address that is not updated in a company’s database or the fact older vehicles with expired warranties are less likely to see regular servicing.”.“Owners may not be aware of how to access safety recall information affecting their vehicles or vehicle equipment,” said the department..Amendments under the Act would require that all automakers post recall notices on company websites “in a timely manner” and keyword searchable format and keep them posted for years. .“The published safety recall information would be required to remain on the companies’ websites for at least 15 years,” said the Analysis Statement..Regulators stated that the costs to automakers were minimal and no specific enforcement date had been established..“The proposed amendments would lead to the correction of a greater number of safety recalls and benefit the safety of all Canadians,” wrote researchers. .“The proposed amendments are intended to directly influence recall completion dates and to reduce losses from property damage, injuries and death.”.Parliament in 2018 passed Bill S-2 An Act to Amend the Motor Vehicle Safety Act to expand the powers of the Transport department to order vehicle recalls under threat of $ 200,000-a-day fines. The United States enacted similar legislation in 1966..The bill additionally granted regulators the authority to do out-of-court settlements with companies found to be in violation of the law. .The Transport department had refrained from filing any lawsuits against automakers for violating the Vehicle Safety Act, except for a 1993 suit against Chrysler regarding defective tire winch cables. However, this case was dismissed in 2000..Over 40 years, regulators achieved only one successful prosecution against the Ford Motor Company for faulty steering linkage idler arms found on vehicles produced between 1974 and 1976..“Yes, there is always room for improvement,” Liberal MP Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North, MB), parliamentary secretary to the Government House Leader, earlier told the Commons.
