On June 25, 2008, Transport Canada issued an amendment to section 215 of Schedule IV of the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations modifying the Canadian safety standard for bumpers via the incorporation by reference of the bumper safety standards of the United States and Europe. This has the effect of aligning the test speeds of the Canadian bumper safety standard with those of Europe and the United States and provides manufacturers the option of meeting the European safety requirements or the safety and no damage provisions of the United States. As a result of this amendment, there is now one consistent set of globally regulated test speeds for the design of bumpers, which simplifies the task of designing bumpers for vehicles destined for the North American and European markets. This amendment may also help facilitate the introduction in Canada of the impending Global Technical Regulation for pedestrian safety, being developed under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
This amendment will allow vehicles manufactured for the U.S. that were deemed inadmissible due to differing bumper requirements to become admissible since bumper modifications will no longer be required. Until August 31, 2009, manufacturers will be allowed to meet either the bumper testing requirements set out as it read before this amendment or the new requirements established by this amendment. As of September 1, 2009, manufactures will be required to conform to the new requirements in all cases.
