Bus safety

Location: National

Key Messages:

  • In Canada, road safety is a shared responsibility between federal, provincial/territorial and municipal governments.

  • Transport Canada (TC) is in solidarity with the victims, families and communities affected by fatal bus accidents.

  • Ensuring the safety of drivers, pedestrians and all road users continues to be a priority for TC. The Department will continue to work with other levels of government to improve road safety.

  • School buses in Canada are the safest way to transport children to and from school. At the same time, there is always room for improvement, and TC is taking action to further strengthen school bus safety in Canada. In July 2022, TC published a regulatory proposal in the Canada Gazette, Part I focused on key safety enhancing features for school buses.

  • TC has worked with provinces and territories to develop a national standard for entry-level training for truck drivers and improve safety features on buses and other vehicles, including electronic logging devices in motor coaches and heavy commercial trucks to reduce the risk of fatigue-related collisions. Seatbelts are now also required on all new motor coaches.

  • TC continues to work with provinces/territories and industry partners to look for ways to further strengthen motor vehicle safety, including the adoption of safety-enhancing technologies.

  • Making improvements to Canada’s road system, including infrastructure and vehicles, can reduce the number of Canadians that will die or be injured on our roads.

Summary of Issue / Background:

  • Each year in Canada, about 2,000 people are killed and 165,000 are injured, while using the road transportation system, costing approximately $40 billion annually.

  • In Canada, road safety is a shared responsibility between federal, provincial/territorial and municipal governments.

  • Under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and the Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, TC verifies that all vehicles, vehicle equipment and tires are compliant. Should a safety defect be suspected, Transport Canada investigates and orders corrective action by the manufacturer. The Department also conducts in-depth investigations of real-world collisions, such as vehicle inspection and collision reconstruction analysis.

  • Under the Motor Vehicle Transport Act, TC is also responsible for certain operational matters, such as regulations for hours of service relating to commercial motor vehicles (transit buses, motor coaches, heavy trucks) that cross provincial/territorial boundaries.

  • Provinces/territories are responsible for the enforcement of safety on Canada’s roads and highways, driver and vehicle licensing, and rules of the road such as speed limits. 

  • On January 2016, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators launched its fourth national Road Safety Strategy with the long-term vision to 2025 of making Canada’s roads the safest in the world. The Strategy includes:
    • The Safe System Approach a means by which many countries leading in road safety are achieving their visions of eliminating deaths and serious injuries;
    • Providing an inventory of proven and promising best practices to address key risk groups and contributing factors.

  • Based on emerging trends and research and analysis of road collision, the key contributing factors are:
    • Distracted Driving;
    • Alcohol Impaired Driving;
    • Drug Impaired Driving;
    • Fatigue Impaired Drivers;
    • Speed and Aggressive Drivers;
    • Unrestrained Occupants;
    • Environmental Factors;
    • Road Infrastructure;
    • Vehicle Factors.

  • Following the tragic bus crash involving the Humboldt Broncos on April 6, 2018, TC worked with provincial and territorial partners to:
    • Issue a national standard for entry-level training for commercial drivers;
    • Mandate electronic logging devices to mitigate the risk of driver fatigue;
    • Require electronic stability control systems to improve driver control; and,
    • Make seatbelts mandatory on all new on highway buses in Canada.

  • On February 14, 2020, the Federal Provincial Territorial Council of Ministers approved the report of an expert Task Force on School Bus Safety, which recommended looking into safety features aimed at protecting children outside the bus, where the greatest risks exist:
    • Infraction cameras to help prevent dangerous incidents caused by passing motorists;
    • Extended stop arms to further deter motorists from passing while children are entering or leaving the bus;
    • Exterior 360° cameras as a means of better detecting/ protecting children around the exterior of the bus; and
    • Automatic emergency braking to help avoid collisions with pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles.

  • Pilot projects regarding seatbelt use on school buses involving partners in British Columbia and Sudbury, Ontario are in the final stages. Results will be used to inform decision-making on whether seatbelts on school buses could eventually become a viable safety measure in Canada.