On Feb. 11, 2012, Transport Canada published in a notice in the Canada Gazette Part I announcing that it is proposing to amend CMVSS 208 and related standards to bring them more up-to-date with requirements in the U.S.
In brief, the changes proposed for CMVSS 208 include:
- Adopting combined lap and shoulder seat belts at the inboard rear position of vehicles under 4 536 kg gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR);
- Modifying the 50th percentile male rigid barrier crash by increasing the test speed from 48 km/h to 56 km/h,
- adopting neck injury criteria, and
- eliminating the head acceleration requirement;
- Adopting the 5th percentile female rigid barrier and offset deformable barrier requirements and test procedures; and
- Adopting the out-of-position driver and passenger requirements and test procedures.
While most of Canadian safety standard 208 would be aligned with the United States standard, areas that would remain unique to Canada include:
- no requirement for unbelted barrier testing;
- no chest acceleration requirement; and
- unique barrier chest deflection limits for all vehicles up to 3 856 kg GVWR:
- 55 mm for the 50th percentile male (63 mm in the United States), and
- 45 mm for the 5th percentile female (52 mm in the United States).
Comments on the proposal are due April 27, 2012.
Transport Canada Contact: Anthony Jaz, Senior Regulatory Development Officer Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation Directorate Transport Canada 275 Slater Street, 16th Floor Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N5 Email: anthony.jaz@tc.gc.ca
