Canada: Changes to the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations (MVSR)

 

Canada has announced planned changes to the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations (MVSR).

Transport Canada is considering updating the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations to:

• remove the month and year from the title of Test Methods incorporated by reference in the MVSR,
• remove outdated transitional provisions,
• update the SAE J3069, Adaptive driving beam, reference
• correct a conversion error for mirror rear visibility requirements, and,

update the United Nations regulation references for Noise Emissions.

Transport Canada is responsible for regulating the safety of motor vehicles and related equipment to help keep Canadian roads safe. Vehicle manufacturers and importers must ensure that all new vehicles—whether imported or manufactured in one province and sold in another—meet Canada’s vehicle safety regulations and standards.

Transport Canada is currently seeking your feedback on five proposed areas for updates to the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations (MVSR), which includes changes to the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS).

1. Removal of Test Method Dates

Transport Canada maintains a series of Test Methods referenced in the CMVSS. Following the 2014 amendments to the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, and subsequent regulatory changes that removed naming conventions for Test Methods, the CMVSS no longer needs to reference specific publication dates.

They are considering amending the MVSR to remove dates from the following 8 Test Method references, allowing the most current version of each method to apply:

• TM 213.4 – Built-in Restraint Systems and Built-in Booster Seats (November 2012)
• TM 221 – School Bus Body Joint Strength (October 2000)
• TM 223 – Rear Impact Guard (December 2003)
• TM 301.1 – LPG Fuel System Integrity (February 2004)
• TM 301.2 – CNG Fuel System Integrity (February 2004)
• TM 903 – C-dolly (October 1992)
• TM 905 – Trailer Cargo Anchoring Devices (August 1998)
• TM 1106 – Noise Emission Tests (August 2005)

Please note: Similar Test Methods in the Motor Vehicle Restraint Systems and Booster Seats Safety Regulations (RSSR) will not be amended at this time. These will be addressed in future amendments to the RSSR.

2. Removal of Outdated Transitional Provisions

The MVSR currently includes several transitional provisions with past implementation dates. As these dates have now passed and the related requirements are fully in force, we are considering removing them to simplify and streamline the regulations.

In most cases, the entire subsection would be repealed. In some instances, only the outdated date would be removed. Annex 1 includes a full list of the proposed changes.

3. Adaptive Driving Beam (ADB) Updates

CMVSS 108, Lighting Systems and Reflective Devices, currently references the June 2016 version of SAE J3069, which outlines standards for Adaptive Driving Beam (ADB) systems. SAE published a revised version in March 2021, which includes editorial changes and clarifications.

They are considering updating CMVSS 108 to refer to the March 2021 version and are seeking feedback on:

• Whether any manufacturers currently use, or plan to use, SAE J3069 for ADB certification in Canada.
• Whether the reference to SAE J3069 should become ambulatory—i.e., not tied to a specific version. This would allow future updates to be adopted automatically without delay.
• Whether, in light of the upcoming April 2025 update to TSD 108 in the U.S. (which incorporates American ADB requirements), the reference to SAE J3069 should be removed altogether from CMVSS 108.

4. Unit Conversion Corrections

In CMVSS 111 – Mirrors and Visibility Systems, the field of view requirements for passenger and three-wheeled vehicles currently include both metric and imperial units. The original imperial values were not accurately converted.

They are proposing to correct the metric equivalents as follows:

• Change 2.5 m (8 feet) to 2.4 m
• Change 10.6 m (35 feet) to 10.7 m

This would align CMVSS 111 with equivalent U.S. requirements.

5. Updates to United Nations Regulation References

CMVSS 1106 – Noise Emissions currently references specific versions of United Nations Regulation No. 41 (motorcycles) and Regulation No. 51 (motor vehicles with four or more wheels). These references are outdated and have since been superseded.

They are considering updating or removing these references and request input on the following:

• Should references be ambulatory to a specific series of amendments (i.e., automatically updated within a series, but requiring amendment for a new series)?
• Should references be fully ambulatory (i.e., automatically incorporate any updates, including new series, without amendment)?

The public consultation about the changes is open until September 23^rd, 2025 .

To find out more about the vehicle regulations in Canada, please do not hesitate to contact the Institute for Global Automotive Regulatory Research.