Canada’s Safety Framework for Connected and Automated Vehicles 2.0

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Message from the Minister of Transport Canada

I’m pleased to present Canada’s Safety Framework for Connected and Automated Vehicles 2.0. This Safety Framework describes Transport Canada’s progress in advancing connected and automated vehicle safety technology since the original framework was published in 2019.

The connected and automated vehicle sector continues to grow rapidly and is expected to reach a global market value of $65 billion (US dollars) by 2026. Transport Canada works diligently to modernize Canada’s transportation system and to prepare the regulatory environment for the safe integration of new and emerging connected and automated vehicle technologies.

The department also works closely with the United States and other international regulatory counterparts to support the development of globally aligned safety requirements for connected and automated vehicle technologies. Lastly, we engage regularly and closely with provincial and territorial partners on this work through our established channels of collaboration to advance the safe deployment of connected and automated vehicle technologies onto Canadian roads.

The safety of Canadians remains the top priority for Transport Canada. We continue to conduct research on a wide range of connected and automated vehicle topics to inform our existing suite of guidance documents, while bolstering our regulatory, compliance, and enforcement capacity, and expanding technical expertise to address potential regulatory barriers and novel safety risks. In parallel, we are working to encourage economic growth in this sector by modernizing our regulatory regime and providing funding to support research and advancements in road safety innovation.

Striving for greater road safety in Canada is a responsibility we all share. I would like to extend my gratitude and appreciation to the many stakeholders across Canada who have provided their meaningful feedback and support throughout the development of this framework. This strong partnership will help us achieve our goal of increasing safety for Canadians and allow us to leverage the potential of these technologies across our country.

Executive summary

Canada’s Safety Framework for Connected and Automated Vehicles 2.0 informs stakeholders of Transport Canada’s safety-focused approach to connected and automated vehicle technologies.

This framework sets an innovative and stable policy direction for the use of connected and automated vehicles on Canada’s public roads and describes Canada’s legislative and regulatory regime, including our comprehensive oversight program.

It also includes information on a suite of non-regulatory guidance and tools, many having been introduced in recent years on topics important for stakeholders, like cyber security and testing. Transport Canada’s approach to supporting ongoing connected and automated vehicle safety is based on the same guiding principles as those published in the 2019 Framework.

This framework also provides updates on the department’s work to increase public confidence in and consumer awareness of connected and automated vehicles and promote their safe use. This includes:

The various legislative, regulatory, and non-regulatory guidance tools referenced in this framework are meant to facilitate the safe, timely, and publicly accepted use of connected and automated vehicles on Canadian roads.

Finally, research and development, testing and trials, as well as funding to support innovation through grants and contributions give Transport Canada and Canadians the tools to make sure that these emerging technologies are well understood, safe, and reliable.

Introduction

The emergence of connected and automated vehicle technologies is paving the way for fundamental change in Canada’s road transportation system, with the potential for important economic, social, and improved safety benefits.

With the release of Canada’s Safety Framework for Automated and Connected Vehicles in February 2019, Transport Canada informed industry and the public of its safety-focused approach to connected and automated vehicle technologies. As the federal transportation regulator, the constant evolution of new and emerging technologies in recent years has increased the need for the department to continue to support safe testing, research, and use of connected and automated vehicle and related technologies.

Canada’s Safety Framework for Connected and Automated Vehicles 2.0 builds on the approach outlined in the previous version and reinforces Transport Canada’s commitment to road safety as connected and automated vehicle technologies rapidly evolve.

Transport Canada’s approach to supporting ongoing connected and automated vehicle safety is based on the same guiding principles published in the 2019 Framework. These five principles are:

  • enhanced safety and security
  • modernized and innovative approach
  • strengthen engagement and collaboration
  • clear and consistent oversight
  • continuous improvement

These principles reflect Transport Canada’s mandate and vision to build a safer, more secure transportation system that Canadians trust.

Throughout this document, the use of the term “connected and automated vehicle” generally refers to all advanced technologies and systems that support vehicle connectivity or automation. We recognize that advanced driver assistance systems also incorporate low levels of automation, but we’ve chosen to include Transport Canada’s work on these technologies under the umbrella of “connected and automated vehicle” in this framework.

Purpose and scope

The landscape of connected and automated vehicle innovation is rapidly evolving, and new technologies are becoming increasingly common in today’s vehicles. At the same time, the complex nature of these emerging technologies may also pose novel safety challenges.

While significant advancements are being made by industry and academia, federal research and evaluation are needed to ensure that these technologies are tested and used safely. As such, Transport Canada continues to prioritize federal research and development, as well as evaluation and testing, to ensure progress in safety standards and develop regulations.

The Safety Framework consists of five sections – each with several sub-sections – that present information on the current federal approaches to issues related to the use of connected and automated vehicle technologies, challenges, and opportunities that may be of interest to all stakeholders (different levels of government, industry, academia, and members of the Canadian public).

This framework also describes Transport Canada’s approach to maintaining the safety of Canada’s roadways in light of the increasing levels of vehicle automation and connectivity, which will continue to evolve as new developments emerge.

Context

Key Stats

In 2022, 1,931 Canadians lost their lives on Canada’s roads, with around 85% of these collisions involving human behavior as a contributing factor. As reported in the Canadian Motor Vehicle Traffic Collision Statistics: 2022, which contains data from Transport Canada’s National Collision Database, the leading human behaviour contributing factors in fatal collisions include:

  • speeding (20%)
  • impairment (23%)
  • distraction (20%)

Table 1 shows all contributing factors in fatal collisions. Aside from the tragic impacts to people, families, and communities, deaths and injuries bear a significant social and economic cost, at an estimated $40 billion in 2021, roughly 2% of Canada’s gross domestic product. Footnote 1

Vehicles equipped with connected and automated vehicle technologies have safety features like automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assistance which can help to reduce road collisions, save lives, and reduce injuries and property damage.

Figure 1: Contributing factors* in fatal collisions – 2018 to 2022

A bar graph titled 'Contributing factors in fatal collisions - 2018 to 2022.' The graph shows percentage contributions of various factors to fatal collisions from 2018 to 2022. Categories include distraction, speed/driving too fast, impaired/under the influence, fatigue, vehicle factor, other human factor, environmental factor, and no contributing factors. Each category is represented by a specific color, and the years are displayed on the x-axis, with percentages on the y-axis ranging from 0% to 80%. The 'other human factor' category consistently has the highest percentages across all years, exceeding 60%. Other categories show fluctuations over the years.

*Some collisions were counted more than once because most collisions have more than one contributing factor.

Note: This data was estimated using submissions from a subset of Canada's provinces and territories.

Table 1: Contributing factors* in fatal collisions – 2018 to 2022

Distraction 20.8% 20.6% 20.1% 22.2% 19.9%
Speed / Driving too Fast 24.0% 23.5% 25.1% 26.2% 21.9%
Impaired / Under the Influence 27.2% 23.2% 25.5% 24.7% 23.0%
Fatigue 3.4% 4.0% 2.5% 3.4% 2.8%
Other Human Factor 65.3% 66.4% 62.4% 68.3% 67.0%
Environmental Factor 23.4% 22.3% 20.0% 21.0% 21.9%
Vehicle Factor 3.2% 4.6% 4.1% 3.2% 3.5%
No Contributing Factors 24.2% 25.4% 22.4% 28.8% 25.2%

What does connected and automated vehicle technology look like today?

Connectivity and automated technologies are in cars on Canadian roads today, while the technology continues to rapidly evolve.

A connected vehicle uses wireless technology to communicate with other vehicles (V2V or “vehicle-to-vehicle”), transportation infrastructure (V2I or “vehicle-to-infrastructure”), and a growing number of other road users like pedestrians (V2P or “vehicle-to-pedestrian”). As such, the technology is often called “vehicle-to-everything” (V2X). Various wireless forms of communication are possible with the most popular being dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) and cell networks (C-V2X).

An automated vehicle uses a suite of sensors, computers, and software combined with traditional vehicle parts to complete some parts of the driving task like route planning, localization, and safe navigation during a trip. Some automated vehicles may also use connectivity to remotely monitor the vehicle to protect occupants or offer remote assistance, like manoeuvre planning.

What are the levels of vehicle automation?

To classify the various levels of vehicle automation, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE International) has developed a standard on the taxonomy of driving automation (SAE International J3016).

This standard sets six levels of automation (level 0 to 5) based on the responsibilities of the human and the system with regards to the driving task.

Table 2: Levels of vehicle automation

Automation level Description of automation Common name
0

Conventional vehicles with no continuous assistance system.

Includes temporary assistance features like lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking, and cruise control.

 n/a
1

Low-level automation that helps drivers with either steering or acceleration under specific circumstances but doesn’t replace them.

Includes: adaptive cruise control, lane centering assistance, and lane keeping assistance.

 Driver support/assistance
2

Low-level automation that helps driverswith both steering and acceleration/deceleration under specific conditions but doesn’t replace them.

Includes: self-parking and autonomous obstacle avoidance, and proprietary features like: Autopilot, BlueCruise, SuperCruise.

 Advanced driver assistance systems
3

Hardware and software that can drive a vehicle without human help.

Requires a human to be available to take control of the vehicle if the system comes across a situation it can’t navigate.

 Automated driving systems
4

Hardware and software that can drive a vehicle without human help.

Can operate without a human present as long as certain conditions (like geography, weather) are met.

 Automated driving systems
5

Hardware and software that can drive a vehicle without human help.

Can operate without a human in all conditions.

 Automated driving systems

Transport Canada encourages consumers to understand the difference between advanced driver assistance systems and automated driving systems, and to learn about their vehicle’s safety features. Consumers may do this by carefully reviewing the owner manual and vehicle manufacturer resources.

Canada’s federal, provincial, and territorial governments actively support the development and testing of higher-level automated driving systems on Canada’s roads and are helping manufacturers validate the safety of these new technologies, many of which are outlined in this document.

Stakeholders are invited to consult the tools referenced in this framework to inform their work and safely test and deploy connected and automated vehicles and connected and automated vehicle technologies.

Section 1: Canadian laws, regulations and standards

In Canada, motor vehicle safety is a shared responsibility among federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal governments, industry partners, and road users. Transport Canada regulates and enforces the safety performance of new and imported motor vehicles and equipment under a self-certification regime.

In self-certification, manufacturers test and maintain test records to prove to the government that regulated vehicles and equipment meet all applicable safety standards. This approach is similar to the one used in the United States. It limits the government’s pre-market influence and workload on the regulated community.

Transport Canada is also responsible for some operational matters relating to commercial motor vehicles that cross provincial/territorial and international borders. Canada’s provinces and territories are responsible for making sure that vehicles safely operate on public roads. This includes:

  • establishing and enforcing traffic laws
  • licensing drivers
  • registering vehicles
  • setting insurance and liability requirements
  • vehicle maintenance
  • commercial vehicle operations, including enforcing requirements for federal motor carriers, and roadway infrastructure

Municipalities may enforce provincial traffic laws, establish local traffic by-laws, manage public transportation, license taxi and ridesharing services, and maintain local roadway infrastructure.

This section of the safety framework outlines how Canadian federal legislation and regulations support the safe testing and use of connected and automated vehicles on Canadian roads today.

1.1 Federal legislation

Motor Vehicle Safety Act

Under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, Transport Canada must establish and enforce safety regulations and standards that apply to motor vehicles and some types of motor vehicle equipment that are imported into Canada or manufactured in Canada and shipped across provincial and territorial boundaries.

The act also outlines safety requirements for multiple vehicle classes, including those that incorporate connected and automated technologies, and gives the Minister of Transport the authority to verify companies’ and persons’ compliance with the act. It also authorizes the Minister to order companies to correct safety defects or non-compliance (issue) in a vehicle or equipment, including any safety defect caused by connected and automated vehicle technologies.

The act was most recently updated in 2018 to improve the Minister of Transport’s enforcement and compliance authorities and to give the Minister more flexibility to keep pace with emerging technologies in the automotive industry.

These updates have given the act the flexibility to accommodate vehicles with new technologies that conflict with existing regulations for use on a temporary or permanent basis. Transport Canada continues to examine opportunities to further adapt and modernize the act as vehicle technology and road safety issues continue to evolve.

Please see Section 1.4 – Regulatory flexibility to support innovation for more information on this topic.

Canada Transportation Act

The Canada Transportation Act was updated in 2019 to authorize the Minister of Transport to grant exemptions from existing legislative and regulatory requirements so stakeholders can research, develop or test innovative vehicles or features.

The exemption authority supports Canada's economic competitiveness by promoting innovation and investment in the transportation sector. The exemption authority also gives Transport Canada a critical line of sight into innovations that could impact policy development and better positions the department to keep pace with change.

In addition, the exemption authority allows the transportation industry to develop and test new or improved products, processes, and methods in a safe and controlled environment, permitting earlier adoption of products or processes that produce safety, security or environmental protection benefits for Canadians.

Motor Vehicle Transport Act

Under the Motor Vehicle Transport Act, Transport Canada is responsible for some operational matters (such as hours of service) for commercial motor vehicles (for example, transit buses, motor coaches, heavy trucks) that cross provincial/territorial and international boundaries.

The act sets the regulatory regime for extra-provincial motor carrier activities that focus on safety performance assessments based on the National Safety Code for Motor Carriers and ensures that the appropriate operating standards are applied consistently across Canada. Provinces and territories are responsible for the enforcement of federal motor carrier operational regulations.

1.2 Regulations and standards

Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations

The Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations outline the requirements and technical standards that vehicles must meet in order to be imported or manufactured and sold across provincial borders.

This includes requirements for using the National Safety Mark and compliance labels, the regulatory descriptions of vehicle classes, requirements for importing motor vehicles, and shipping newly manufactured motor vehicles and designated equipment across provincial and territorial borders.

The regulations also include procedures for vehicle exemptions, notices of defect and notices of non-compliance.

A circular logo featuring a maple leaf at the center with the text 'YYY' inside the leaf. Around the maple leaf, the outer circle includes the text: 'CANADA,' 'NSVAC xxxx,' 'CMVSS xxxx,' and 'TRANSPORT,' separated by small circular dots. The logo is in black and white and represents a compliance or certification mark related to transport standards in Canada.

The National Safety Mark is a sign that a vehicle or equipment complies with the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and its associated regulations and safety standards. Transport Canada gives companies permission to use it if they apply.

 

Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards

The Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, under Schedule III of the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations, set the minimum performance levels that regulated vehicles must meet. Companies must self-certify that all new vehicles manufactured – shipped inter-provincially or imported in Canada – comply with the applicable safety standards at the time the main assembly of the vehicle was completed, or the equipment was manufactured.

1.3 Compliance and enforcement

The Motor Vehicle Safety Oversight Program promotes and monitors compliance with the requirements of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and its related regulations and standards, and its inspectors and enforcement officers take action in cases of non-compliance. The program makes sure that regulated entities meet their obligations under the act.

Over 20,000 oversight tasks are done or managed by the Motor Vehicle Safety Program every year. These include:

  • inspecting and testing regulated vehicles, tires, and equipment
  • reviewing and verifying certification documentation from companies
  • investigating potential safety defects in vehicles and equipment
  • assessing and monitoring recall campaigns and their completion rates

Following from the 2018 updates to the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, Transport Canada developed a new administrative monetary penalty (fine) regime. The regime, which was created after a long development process that included extensive consultations, came into force on October 3, 2023.

The 2018 updates also included a new authority to compel certain companies to acquire and maintain specific types of foreign information. Under this authority, regulations are being developed for a new “analysis of companies' technical information for vehicles and equipment” program (commonly referred to as ACTIVE or "information gathering"), that would require around 460 companies to regularly share information like death, injury and fire incident reports, safety evaluations, and foreign recalls with Transport Canada. This information will be integrated into Transport Canada’s current defect investigative process to help us identify and correct safety issues faster.

The 2018 updates also introduced consent agreements, which the Minister of Transport can use instead of an administrative monetary penalty (fine) or other enforcement actions and includes binding terms and conditions (case-by-case basis). Transport Canada can enter into a consent agreement with a person or company that has – or Transport Canada believes to have – violated the Motor Vehicle Safety Act or its regulations. These agreements are more flexible and efficient than fines or court, which means that there could be better and more immediate safety benefits for Canadians.

1.4 Regulatory flexibility to support innovation

Transport Canada’s vehicle safety regime has flexible regulations to support the safe testing and deployment of new vehicle technologies, including those related to connectivity and automation.

Under this regime, vehicles equipped with automated driving systems that comply with existing requirements can be permanently imported or manufactured for use in Canada. Other options are available for vehicles which don’t comply with existing requirements.

The following section provides information on tools to temporarily import vehicles for testing, or permanent market use.

Temporarily importing vehicles for exhibition, demonstration, evaluation, or testing

Under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act, a person or company can temporarily import a vehicle into Canada that doesn’t meet all Canadian safety standards for specific purposes as defined by regulations, such as for exhibition, demonstration, evaluation, or testing.

To temporarily import a vehicle into Canada, a person or company must make a declaration to import non-compliant vehicles temporarily for special purposes via Transport Canada’s Temporary Vehicle Importation System. Transport Canada must accept the declaration to temporarily import a non-compliant vehicle for special purposes before the vehicle arrives at the Canadian border.

Approval from provincial/territorial road transport authorities may also be required before testing a non-compliant vehicle on public roads. Once imported, non-compliant vehicles must also meet any provincial/territorial requirements.

Exemptions for vehicles that are being permanently imported

Transport Canada encourages transformative technologies, including connected and automated vehicle technologies. However, there may be situations where a newly manufactured or imported vehicle that will be permanently imported into Canada doesn’t comply with all applicable Canadian safety standards.

As such, Section 9 of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act authorizes the Minister of Transport to grant vehicle manufacturers exemptions from prescribed standards for a specified period to help them develop new safety features or new kinds of vehicles, technologies, vehicle systems, or components. This authority is limited to only prescribed standards.

To request an exemption, a company must follow the process for seeking exemptions from the Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and prove that the exemption wouldn’t substantially diminish the overall safety performance of the vehicle model.

Section 6.7 of the Canada Transportation Act also allows the Minister of Transport to exempt any person or thing, or class of persons or things, from any legislative or regulatory requirements of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act for five years or less. These exemptions can be granted in cases where the exemption is in the public interest and would promote innovation through research, development or testing.

In either case, the exemption must be granted before the non-compliant vehicle can be used on Canadian roads. Even with an exemption, companies are still responsible to meet all requirements in the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations throughout the lifecycle of the vehicle, including notices of defect/non-compliance requirements.

As such, if a safety defect is discovered, the manufacturer would be required to correct this defect on the exempted vehicles.

1.5 Roles and responsibilities of other federal departments

This section provides a high-level overview of federal requirements from other government departments and agencies that may apply when testing automated driving system-enabled vehicles in Canada.

Learn more about Transport Canada’s Guidelines for Testing Automated Driving Systems, Version 2.0.

Canadian Transportation Agency

The Canadian Transportation Agency is an independent, quasi-judicial tribunal and regulator. One of its mandates is to protect the right of people with disabilities to accessible transportation. The Canada Transportation Act gives the agency the power to protect and advance the rights of persons with disabilities to have an accessible federal transportation network.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada is responsible for setting and enforcing technical standards and licensing requirements for the wireless technologies integrated in vehicles and roadside infrastructure.

These standards and licensing requirements limit interference to radio communication services and help make sure that Canadians aren’t overexposed to radiofrequency fields from wireless technologies. The department has requirements that a trial organization must meet when using wireless communication technology for testing.

If a trial organization is doing tests that use wireless technologies, the trial organization must make sure that their work complies with all certification and licensing requirements, including procedures administered by Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

For more information, please visit Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s Developmental License Playbook and The Internet of Things Toolkit for Small and Medium Businesses.

Trial organizations are also encouraged to notify the relevant provincial and territorial authorities about trials that involve connected vehicle technologies to determine if any other approvals are required (for example, to install sensors on local infrastructure).

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner oversees Canada’s federal privacy laws. Currently, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) governs how private sector organizations collect, use, and disclose personal information during commercial activities in Canada.

Currently, the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec have enacted "substantially similar" laws to PIPEDA. In many circumstances, the provincial law applies instead of the federal law. Trial organizations should consult the privacy legislation enacted in these jurisdictions in addition to PIPEDA. It is possible that more than one privacy law could apply to an organization. When more than one law applies, organizations must comply with both.

The PIPEDA provides a framework with both strong privacy protections and the flexibility to support businesses' legitimate needs to access personal information. Footnote 2

Canada Border Services Agency

The Canada Border Services Agencyis responsible for managing the flow of legitimate travellers and trade including collecting duties and taxes on all goods entering Canada, even those imported temporarily. If an automated driving system-equipped vehicle is imported into Canada from another country, it’s subject to applicable duties and taxes (including GST/HST) on its full value.

If the vehicle is considered to be cargo and not a conveyance (in other words, the vehicle isn’t bringing passengers across the border) it may be eligible for customs duty and GST/HST relief under tariff item No. 9993.00.00 depending on the circumstances of the import.

Section 2: Guidance and tools

This section highlights some guidance documents that help entities test and deploy vehicles equipped with automated driving systems.

2.1 Guidance

Guidelines for Testing Automated Driving Systems in Canada, Version 2.0

Transport Canada’s Guidelines for Testing Automated Driving Systems in Canada, Version 2.0was published in 2021.Version 2.0 includes:

  • new safety-related best practices based on lessons learned from domestic and international tests
  • updated testing guidance published by other international jurisdictions
  • updated international standards
  • new industry best practices

In addition, Version 2.0 includes an inventory of safety-related best practices that trial organizations are encouraged to follow when operating in Canada and promotes Canada as a destination for testing automated driving system-equipped vehicles.

It also clarifies the roles and responsibilities of different orders of government in approving and facilitating trials of automated driving system-equipped vehicles. Version 2.0 also provides guidance on other topics of interest, like assessing the safety of the test vehicle, testing remote operations, and passenger safety.

We expect to update these guidelines in the future to reflect updated international standards, lessons learned, and best practices from testing activities.

Safety Assessment for Automated Driving Systems in Canada

Transport Canada’s Safety Assessment for Automated Driving Systems in Canada, published in 2019, is a tool to support manufacturers as they review and manage the safety of SAE levels 3 to 5 vehicles Footnote 3 before they’re deployed on Canadian roads.

The assessment focuses on vehicle safety issues that aren’t addressed in existing regulations, at a time when these technologies are quickly evolving. This policy approach aligns with other international partners, including the United States. Transport Canada encourages developers of automated driving system to publish their safety assessments publicly in order to help the public learn about the current state of new vehicle technologies.

Canadian Jurisdictional Guidelines for the Safe Testing and Deployment of Vehicles Equipped with Automated Driving Systems Version 2.0

The Canadian Jurisdictional Guidelines for the Safe Testing and Deployment of Vehicles Equipped with Automated Driving Systems Version 2.0 were developed by the Canadian Council of Motor Transportation Administrators in partnership with Transport Canada and Canadian provinces and territories. The guidelines set a consistent approach to connected and automated vehicle safety and includes updated guidance to provinces and territories on measures they may need to take to test and deploy these technologies. They also provide recommendations for jurisdictions on topics including:

  • data collection
  • public awareness
  • low speed automated shuttles
  • personal delivery devices
  • connected vehicles
  • cooperative truck platooning

These guidelines will be updated as needed to make sure stakeholders get the most up-to-date guidance on how to safely test and deploy connected and automated vehicles.

Cyber security

Cyber systems are a key part of Canada’s transportation network and form the backbone of new and emerging connected and automated vehicle technologies. As such, safety and security are becoming increasingly interlinked as vehicles and transportation infrastructure become more connected and automated.

Transport Canada is working with national and international stakeholders to better understand the complex vehicle cyber security threat landscape and to monitor potential risks due to increased connectivity and automation.

As part of a coordinated and safety-focused approach, Transport Canada worked closely with stakeholders to develop guidance and tools to support cyber resilience in our road transportation system.

Canada's Vehicle Cyber Security Guidance provides technology-neutral guiding principles and best practices to help industry limit vulnerabilities and improve their vehicle cyber resilience. The guidance includes:

  • best practices on identifying and managing cyber security risks through governance, frameworks, and supply chain security
  • best practices on protecting the entire vehicle ecosystem with layered cyber defenses (for example: securing external vehicle communications, data security, etc.)
  • information on how to detect, monitor, respond to, and recover from vehicle cyber security events

Transport Canada’s Vehicle Cyber Security Strategy sets out priorities to support a coordinated approach for vehicle cyber security in Canada and provides a forward-looking roadmap that focuses on:

  • incorporating vehicle cyber security considerations into policy and regulatory frameworks (like developing resources for stakeholders, aligning with international requirements when appropriate)
  • promoting and fostering a modern, innovative approach to vehicle cyber security (for example: engaging with the provinces and territories, research and testing, public awareness)
  • addressing emerging and adjacent issues related to vehicle cyber security (for example: protecting privacy, digital infrastructure, supply chain security, aftermarket, and special vehicle considerations)

Transport Canada’s Vehicle Cyber Security Assessment Tool is a voluntary tool to help manufacturers and suppliers assess the cyber security performance and resilience of their vehicles and vehicle parts, regardless of their level of connectivity or automation. Stakeholders are encouraged to use this tool and share their results with the department, as this information will be used to inform future policies, guidance, compliance activities and regulations.

Transport Canada is also developing a suite of resources to help Canada’s road authorities and infrastructure owners and operators better understand and reduce the impact that potential cyber vulnerabilities pose to connected and automated road transportation infrastructure or intelligent transportation systems (ITS) more broadly.

These resources, like the Road Infrastructure Operational Technology Cyber Security Primer and the ITS cyber security self-assessment tool, complement best practices and guidance issued by Public Safety Canada, the Canadian Centre for Cybersecurity, and other trusted organizations.

Moving forward, Transport Canada will continue working with trusted national and international partners to support a harmonized approach to vehicle cyber security and make sure that connected and automated vehicles remain cybersafe for Canadians.

See more information on vehicle cyber security.

2.2 Public confidence and consumer awareness

As more sophisticated advanced vehicle technologies become available on Canadian roads, Canadians need to understand their abilities and limits to make sure they’re properly used. Noting the many benefits these technologies can potentially offer, it’s also important that Canadians are comfortable with these features.

As a key player in promoting road safety, Transport Canada is committed to improving Canadians’ knowledge and understanding of these technologies, including advanced driver assistance systems currently available on the market.

Transport Canada recommends that consumers learn about the safety features of their respective vehicles by carefully reviewing their owner’s manual and vehicle manufacturer resources. We also encourage vehicle and automated driving systems manufacturers to educate consumers through other means, like easy-to-understand reference materials, including video tutorials and regularly updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Public opinion research

Transport Canada commissioned two public opinion surveys to better understand Canadian attitudes and their familiarity with automated vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems. The surveys, undertaken in 2019 and 2021, consulted around 3,000 and 2,500 Canadians respectively.

The studies found that most Canadians aren’t familiar with automated vehicles and are skeptical of these systems. They also found that there tends to be confusion amongst Canadians around the terms for these systems given the different names applied by manufacturers for the same systems. These findings are similar to those conducted by other jurisdictions.

The full survey reports are available on the Library of Archives Canada website:

Public education and online resources

Transport Canada is using the results from its public opinion research to develop resources and guidance to help improve consumers’ understanding of emerging connected and automated vehicle technologies and promote their safe use.

For instance, Transport Canada has been working closely with stakeholders to promote standardizing advanced driver assistance system terminology. This includes sitting in on a Consumer Reports Working Group on advanced driver assistance systems vocabulary since 2018 and participating in the SAE International’s Active Safety Terms and Definitions Task Force. We hope this work will dispel the confusion around terminology among consumers.

Transport Canada also incorporated standardized advanced driver assistance system terms into its website on driver assistance technologies, which provides an overview of various connected and automated vehicle technologies currently available on the Canadian market.

The terms used on the website align with those agreed to by leading safety organizations, including the National Safety Council, Consumer Reports, Partners for Automated Vehicle Education (PAVE), J.D. Power, SAE International, and the American Automotive Association.Footnote 4 The website also includes two short, animated videos produced by Transport Canada that promote the safe use of advanced driver assistance systems:

Video: The best vehicle safety system is you

Transcript

Today’s vehicles feature many new driver assistance technologies, which could help prevent collisions, and save lives.

Some systems provide warnings to the driver. Like blind spot monitoring, and lane departure warning.

Others activate momentarily in emergency situations, like automatic emergency braking.

But they don’t always work in bad weather or poor visibility.

These systems are only designed to help you. They can’t replace you. 

Stay alert. Avoid distractions.

And remember, YOU are your vehicle’s best safety system. 

 

Video: Know your vehicle’s driver assistance technologies

Transcript

Many vehicles sold today come with driver assistance technologies… Like...

Blind spot monitoring, which alerts you if there’s a vehicle in your blind spot.

Automated emergency braking, which applies the brakes to avoid potential collisions ahead.

Or adaptive cruise control, which maintains your speed and following distance.

But not all systems work the same way, or use the same names.

Learn more about what your vehicle can and can’t do by:

Reading your owner’s manual, Visiting a manufacturer’s website, or Visiting Canada.ca/driver-assistance.

The more you know about these safety technologies, the safer you’ll be.

 

Transport Canada’s webpages on connected and automated vehicles are another useful resource that help inform Canadians about connected and automated vehicle technologies. The webpages provide access to Government of Canada safety resources on emerging vehicle technologies, funding opportunities, and information on connected and automated vehicle testing and research taking place throughout the country.

The department’s public education efforts, such as its campaign on driver assistance technologies, are complemented by social media. Sponsored and organic posts aim to improve Canadians’ awareness of new and emerging vehicle technologies to promote their acceptance and safe use.

To view past and future posts related to connected and automated vehicle technologies, follow Transport Canada on social media:

Considering that educating the public on vehicle safety is a shared responsibility between the federal, provincial, and territorial governments as well as with industry, Transport Canada works closely with these partners to improve Canadians’ awareness and acceptance of new vehicle technologies.

For instance, the consumer awareness sections in both Transport Canada’s Guidelines for Testing Automated Driving Systems in Canada, Version 2.0 and in the Safety Assessmentfor Automated Driving Systems in Canadaaim to support the Canadian public’s understanding of connected and automated vehicle technologies and help to prepare for their ultimate use.

Section 3: Improving safety by working within Canada and abroad

Jurisdictions and organizations around the world are working to develop regulatory frameworks, guidelines, and standards for connected and automated vehicle technologies that are informed by test results and best practices.

Recognizing that collaboration and engagement with stakeholders is key to effective decision making, Transport Canada regularly consults with provincial and territorial governments, industry experts, academia, international governments, and organizations on a range of topics. In addition to engaging with its stakeholders, Transport Canada uses existing forums to learn, inform, validate, and share information and best practices to ensure a cohesive and collaborative safety approach for the deployment and use of these technologies.

This section provides an overview of some of the key information-sharing forums and mechanisms that Transport Canada uses to engage and work with program partners. This is not an exhaustive list. Transport Canada works with many different stakeholders to support its work on connected and automated vehicle technologies.

3.1 Domestic

Provincial and territorial governments

As road safety is a shared responsibility in Canada, Transport Canada regularly works with provincial and territorial ministries of transportation to support the safe testing and development of connected and automated vehicle technologies.

Transport Canada can also help trial organizations and/or provincial and territorial road safety administrators by sharing best practices and information on managing road safety.

Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators

The Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators coordinates matters dealing with the administration, regulation, and control of motor vehicle transportation and highway safety. Membership includes the provincial, territorial, and federal governments where Transport Canada participates actively as the federal representative to the Council.

Transportation Association of Canada

The Transportation Association of Canada is a national technical association focused on road and highway infrastructure and urban transportation. The group provides a forum where members can address transportation issues and challenges, including those associated with connected and automated vehicle technologies. Members include all orders of government, representatives from the private sector, academia, and key associations. Transport Canada has been working with the association, and other key partners, to address issues like design and infrastructure readiness.

3.2 International

The United States

Canada and the United States share a deeply integrated automotive sector and have a closely linked road infrastructure, where vehicles cross the Canada-United States border regularly. Each country’s motor vehicle regulatory regimes:

  • are very closely aligned
  • are based on self-certification
  • support a flexible, non-regulatory approach to testing and deploying connected and automated vehicles

Given these similarities, Transport Canada and the United States Department of Transportation regularly share best practices and lessons learned on issues of common interest. The Canada-United States Regulatory Cooperation Council helps the two countries work together to reduce the differences in their regulations and improve procedures. The council’s goal is to make the Canadian and United States economies stronger and more competitive, and also meet the need to protect the safety and welfare of citizens.

Transport Canada works closely with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at all major regulatory and road safety United Nations forums, namely the Global Forum for Road Traffic Safety (WP.1) and the World Forum for the Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) to make sure North American perspectives are properly represented as these groups develop international conventions, technical guidance, and regulatory frameworks.

Automotive Information Sharing and Analysis Center (Auto-ISAC)

Transport Canada is a member of the American Automotive Information Sharing and Analysis Center, an industry-driven community that shares and analyzes vehicle cyber security intelligence, including vulnerabilities and threats to help prevent, mitigate, and respond to cyber incidents across the global automotive industry.

United Nations Forums

Transport Canada actively participates in various international forumsto promote Canada’s interests and share best practices on safe testing and deployment of connected and automated vehicle technologies.

Within the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Transport Canada represents Canada at both the Global Forum for Road Traffic Safety (WP.1) and the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29).

Global Forum for Road Traffic Safety (WP.1)

The Global Forum for Road Traffic Safety (WP.1)’s mandate is to improve road safety by harmonizing traffic rules. The forum oversees the application of the 1949 and 1968 Conventions on Road Traffic, which were created to improve road safety by setting uniform traffic rules.

Since signing the 1949 Convention on Road Traffic, Canada has worked closely with the forum to make sure that the testing and use of automated vehicles on Canadian roads aligns with their requirements.

Canada played an active role in developing resolutions that provide reference for contracting parties, vehicle manufacturers, and drivers of the safety considerations in circumstances where activities other than driving may be allowed when automated driving systems are exercising dynamic control.

The forum has also given Canada and other contracting parties the chance to explore the feasibility and need for an international legal instrument to support the safe use of connected and automated vehicles on public roads.

World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29)

The World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) oversees technical standards developed under agreements in 1958, 1997, and 1998.

Transport Canada works closely with the international regulatory community through the forum to develop globally harmonized vehicle safety regulations. As a signatory to the 1998 agreement, Canada has helped develop technical guidance to support connected and automated vehicle safety, which is expected to eventually provide the basis for globally aligned technical regulations as connected and automated vehicle technologies continue to evolve.

Canada is also involved with various working groups within the forum including the Working Party for Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles. We’re also actively involved in these technical working groups:

  • Functional Requirements for Automated Vehicles
  • Validation Method for Automated Driving
  • Event Data Recorder and Data Storage System for Automated Driving
  • Cyber Security and Over-the-Air updates

International Standards Organization

Setting international standards for connected and automated vehicle technologies supports a common understanding among stakeholders by providing definitions, terminology as well as descriptions of functions, basic control strategies, and concepts of operation. Similarly, standard-setting organizations provide guidance, procedures, and requirements for interface design and human interaction, minimum performance requirements, methods, and test criteria.

Transport Canada participates in work led by several international standard-setting organizations. We’ve worked with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to develop standards in three areas:

  • human factors
  • evaluation and test procedures
  • driving control technologies

Transport Canada participates in several SAE International standards committees, like

  • the SAE Ground Vehicle Artificial Intelligence Committee
  • the SAE Truck and Bus Event Data Recorder Committee
  • the SAE Truck and Bus Automation Committee

Transport Canada also works with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers on international initiatives to safely harness the full potential of connected and automated vehicle technologies.

Section 4: Research and innovation

Transport Canada does research and tests on new and emerging connected and automated vehicle technologies and works with partners to improve its understanding of how these technologies support and interact with Canadians.

In addition, several Canadian state-of-the-art facilities and testbeds test and characterize the safety and environmental performance of connected and automated vehicle technologies.

4.1 Motor Vehicle Test Centre

To support research and development, Transport Canada has made large investments in its Motor Vehicle Test Centre in Blainville, Quebec. The Centre does an array of tests to evaluate the performance of new and emerging connected and automated vehicle technologies, like advanced driver assistance systems and vehicle-to-vehicle communications.

Transport Canada also uses the latest test targets to accurately represent real world obstacles, vehicles, and vulnerable road users. Vulnerable road users include pedestrians, motorcycles, mopeds, and cyclists who are vulnerable due to their lack of protection if struck by a vehicle.

Video: Motor Vehicle Test Center testing anti-collision systems

Transcript

Welcome to this beautiful intersection, North of Montreal in Blainville. This is a Transport Canada facility, and we're here in this mock-up intersection, behind me, to better study how vehicle technology can help and assist in reducing fatalities and injuries on Canadian roads.

Today we are going to carry out two types of tests, and in this case, our vehicle must stop and also provide warnings to the driver.

Why we're doing this, into an intersection that you will see in a city with the lampposts, with other pedestrians standing beside, is to challenge current systems.

We use test dummies, of course, not real models. No, that's right.

We look at vulnerable road users. We have pedestrians, we have cyclists. Earlier, we saw the motorcyclist.

To create the scenarios, we have a lot of specialized equipment which allows as much repeatability as possible. In the vehicle, we have pedal robots to control the speed of the vehicle. We have driving robots to replicate the trajectory in a highly repeatable manner. The driver is just there to monitor that everything is going well, that data is entered in the vehicle.

But if there's ever a braking action, that's really the system. The driver will never touch the brakes because we really want to see how the system reacts.

It's very important to notice that when you use your vehicle with advanced technologies that you have limitation in the owner's manual. These limitations can be affected by the angle of the sun, if it rains, if it snows. It's not a perfect solution. It doesn't work everywhere.

And this is why it's very important to understand that these features should be there as a safety measure, an extra set of eyes that will alert you and help you if there's, for example, pedestrians crossing the road where you least expect it.

This is a test that truly represents what we can encounter in an urban setting, for example, when a child decides to cross at the last second.

That's what is very interesting because it can enable us to better understand the benefit of this type of technology, how it will perform in the real world environment while doing it safely on the test track.

There are so many injuries and deaths occurring at intersections in Canada. We are fortunate to have a great team that will enable us to understand the limitations and operation of driver assistance systems.

On average, 4 pedestrians and 1 cyclist die, and 20 pedestrians and 8 cyclists are severely injured each week.

 

4.2 Research priorities

The following are examples of initiatives that will help Transport Canada develop guidance on the integration and use of connected and automated vehicle technologies in Canada.

Automated driving systems safety testing

Simulations

Without simulations, car manufacturers would need to drive billions of test kilometers to show a high-enough level of safety for highly automated vehicles. This process would be costly and time consuming. With simulations, different parts of a vehicle's behaviour, decision-making, and performance can be simulated in a virtual environment. This includes driving scenarios with simulated:

  • road-traffic environments
  • vehicle dynamics
  • sensor inputs and perception
  • decision-making
  • control and actuation
  • edge cases
  • algorithm tuning and optimization
  • safety validation

Transport Canada is exploring the possibility of including simulation-based testing in its regulatory regime for vehicles. An important part of this work is making sure that regulators can have confidence in the environmental fidelity (accuracy) of simulation-based tests, which will often need to replicate very complex, dynamic driving environments and environmental conditions.

In support of this work, Transport Canada received funding in 2020 through the Government of Canada’s Centre for Regulatory Innovation to undertake a two-year project focused on identifying methods to qualify (in other words: assess the accuracy) of simulation-based testing.

This type of testing will allow companies to demonstrate a wider scope of scenarios and responses for a higher level of automation in vehicles. Traditional testing methods are physical tests, and simulations will enable more complex and realistic validation of vehicle models.

This work identified a qualification process that the department hopes to further validate as part of future research projects. This process would make sure that a virtual test environment has key traits to ensure accuracy, repeatability, and best practices to test virtual vehicle models.

Transport Canada continues to share outcomes of this research with international regulatory counterparts to help inform future standards development for simulation-based testing of connected and automated vehicle technologies.

Scenarios

Building on existing simulation-based validation work, Transport Canada is analysing the use of scenario-based validation for assessing the safety of automated driving systems. Validating the safety of these systems is a complex task and involves using multiple testing methods including simulations, tracks, and real-world tests.

Using scenarios can help us organize tests in an efficient, objective, repeatable, and scalable manner. Scenario-based validation, as it applies to automated driving systems, consists of reproducing specific real-world driving situations that exercise and challenge the capabilities of an automated driving system-equipped vehicle to operate safely.

A scenario can involve many elements, such as:

  • roadway layout
  • types of road users
  • objects exhibiting static or diverse dynamic behaviours
  • diverse environmental conditions (among other factors)

Scenarios can be used as evidence to verify that automated driving system-equipped vehicles show safe driving behavioural competencies ranging from routine path following to safety critical functions like avoiding collisions in common crash situations. Scenarios can also be developed to represent various edge cases to test the safety of an automated driving system during less-common situations.

For example, Transport Canada is currently examining how we can structure tests using real-world traffic scenarios and the various methodologies that industry and regulators can use to identify safety critical traffic scenarios. This project includes developing a sample catalogue of traffic scenarios that can be used to validate automated driving system-equipped vehicles for use on Canadian roadways.

To support this effort, Transport Canada joined Safety Pool™, a public database, to store and share test scenarios relevant to Canadian driving environments. This research will inform Transport Canada’s ongoing work to develop guidance and eventually, regulations that are globally aligned to validate automated vehicle safety.

Low-speed Automated Shuttles (LSAS)

Transport Canada’s Innovation Centre engaged Area X.O to do an electric low-speed automated shuttle trial in Ottawa, Ontario in fall 2020. Area X.O, operated by Invest Ottawa, is a research and development complex that helps accelerate time-to-market and commercial adoption of next-gen technology. This project provided further insight into low-speed automated shuttles including their functionality in mixed traffic and interactions with vulnerable road users. This work gave us insight into the efficacy of this technology and has helped us contribute to international standards. Footnote 5

Human factors research

In the past, much of the connected and automated vehicle research has been technology-driven, but an important current focus is on human needs and requirements to better understand and assess the safety implications of human interaction with these systems.

Simply re-assigning tasks that the automated vehicle can’t perform to the person invites human error and frustration. Practical methods are needed to systematically, objectively, and reliably assess the safety of driver interactions with connected and automated driving systems. Transport Canada develops and does this work in coordination with other international research groups.

For example, the Transport Canada Driving Simulator is used to investigate human interaction and performance with in-vehicle technologies in a controlled, efficient, and safe environment. We’re also working on collaborative projects to investigate human interactions with new automated driving technologies, including working with Invest Ottawa to investigate the passenger experience and acceptance of low-speed automated shuttles in different traffic environments.

Other projects include working on human-machine interfaces and user interaction assessments on currently available SAE Level 2 vehicles, and developing standards for driver monitoring, attention management, and intervention strategies.

Transport Canada also led field tests of advanced technology with a focus on user acceptance of vulnerable road user detection systems and published a paper through the Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals in 2020.

Crash avoidance

Collision avoidance and mitigation technologies are intended to reduce the risk of collision from traffic conflicts, vehicle maneuvers, and impending loss of control. These technologies (for example: blind spot warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane support systems) are having a positive impact on motor vehicle safety.

With more vehicles equipped with safety systems available, Transport Canada continues to evaluate the performance of these new technologies as they emerge and evolve to determine how they can affect safety in the Canadian context.

For example, Transport Canada worked with its partners to develop a report illustrating research efforts to understand performance of advanced driver assistance systems in Canadian winter conditions. The report was published at the 2021 Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals/La Prévention Routière Internationale joint virtual conference.

The focus of this work was to capture more challenging winter elements like how vulnerable road users appear in the Canadian winter (jacket, hat, contrast of color with background) as well as how ice and snow can affect sensor performance and detection efficiency of other road users. These safety systems will continue to provide vital crash avoidance protection even as automation progresses.

Vehicle communication

We expect connected vehicle technologies to have major safety and efficiency benefits for on-road vehicles. These technologies can share information on the vehicle’s state and position with other connected devices (vehicles, pedestrians, roadside units, onboard units, etc.).

Basic safety messages from other nearby devices can be used to alert the driver of hazards (like hard braking events, disabled vehicle, slippery conditions, pedestrian crossing, construction zones). Vehicle-to-vehicle technology complements vehicle sensors and cameras since it can receive signals and information that can’t otherwise be “seen” or detected reliably (by radar, lidar Footnote 6, sonar Footnote 7, or camera-based sensors if so-equipped). With future connected technologies on the horizon, Transport Canada continues to evaluate the performance and safety of these new technologies in various scenarios and environmental conditions in the Canadian context.

Dedicated short-range communication, the original connected vehicle communication technology, was developed and tested over almost two decades. In the last ten years, a different approach was developed called C-V2X (cellular vehicle-to-everything). The main difference between them is that C-V2X uses cellular technology, while dedicated short-range communications uses Wi-Fi. C-V2X also allows both direct and indirect communication, meaning that vehicles can communicate not only with nearby entities, but also with distant ones through cellular networks. On the other hand, dedicated short-range communications only supports direct communication within a short range.

Transport Canada previously presented and published a peer-reviewed paper on the performance of dedicated short-range communications in various road and environmental conditions. However, the current focus has shifted to cellular communication with the goal of writing a similar peer-reviewed paper. Data is being collected to help determine the performance of vehicle communication through long-term evolution (LTE) and 5th generation (5G) in Canada’s environment. In telecommunications, LTE and 5G are standards for wireless networks, 5G being the most recent global wireless standard.

Recent decisions by United States and Canadian spectrum regulators have mandated the use of C-V2X. According to decision SMSE-012-22 from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada: “the appropriate technical standards will be revised to allow the certification of only C-V2X-based equipment in the 5895-5925 MHz band. Existing [dedicated short-range communications]-based equipment may continue to operate in the 5895-5925 MHz band on a no-protection, no-interference basis. [Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada] will no longer accept applications for certification of [dedicated short-range communications]-based ITS devices in the 5895-5925 MHz band effective April 1, 2023”.

Cooperative truck platooning systems

In 2022, Transport Canada engaged the Alberta Motor Transport Association to do a cooperative truck platooning system trial which involved track-based testing at Transport Canada’s Motor Vehicle Test Centre and on public roads. These systems can reduce emissions and fuel consumption and improve road safety, traffic flow and road capacity by reducing aerodynamic drag using wireless communications and automation to create a “platoon” of multiple trucks that closely follow each other.

4.3 Grants and contributions Programs

Transport Canada manages the following grant and contribution programs that are helping it better understand and develop connected and automated vehicle technologies.

Enhanced Road Safety and Transfer Payment Program

The Enhanced Road Safety and Transfer Payment Program was created in 2019 and was renewed for another three years through Budget 2023. The program directly supports Canada’s national road safety priorities and creates opportunities to invest in Canadian projects to promote the innovative design, testing, and integration of connected and automated vehicles and technologies that improve road safety.

The results of these projects will help us develop regulations and non-regulatory tools, including policies, best practices, guidelines, and frameworks. The program also provides funding to organizations that:

  • promote road safety
  • increase knowledge of road safety issues, practices, and behaviours in Canada
  • support regulatory compliance

Notable connected and automated vehicle-related projects funded through the program include:

Program to Advance Connectivity and Automation in the Transportation System

The Program to Advance Connectivity and Automation in the Transportation System was created in 2017 to help Canadian jurisdictions address technical, regulatory, and policy issues related to connected and automated vehicle technologies. The program supports research and testing, and the development of codes, standards, and guidance materials.

The program also supports capacity-building and knowledge-sharing activities, including increasing the cyber security capacity and posture of Canada’s transportation infrastructure owners and operators. The program has provided grant and contribution funding towards several connected and automated vehicle testing and evaluation projects. The program was renewed for 3 years through Budget 2023.

Section 5: Future directions

Much progress has been made in the connected and automated vehicle sector over the last few years, where new and emerging technologies are constantly being developed, tested, and deployed with a view to improving the lives of Canadians.

Transport Canada encourages the sector to research and innovate in new and emerging vehicle technologies and continues to monitor progress in related areas like:

  • safety
  • artificial intelligence
  • privacy
  • cyber security

Moving forward, Transport Canada continues to undertake projects to better understand the implications of advanced vehicle technologies for Canadian road users and to build public trust in these technologies as they become more integrated into everyday life.

As these technologies continue to evolve at a rapid pace, we need to consider the new safety, security and privacy requirements that emerge. It will become increasingly important for Transport Canada to work with its domestic and international partners to put safeguards in place to protect the safety and security of Canadians on roads.

Glossary of terms

Advanced Driver Assistance System – assists drivers with driving functions but does not replace them. Systems include adaptive cruise control, lane centering, automatic parallel parking, self-parking, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, and collision avoidance breaking.

Automated vehicle – has technology that allows the vehicle to perform real-time operational and tactical functions required to operate a vehicle in on-road traffic.

Automated Driving System – refers specifically to SAE level 3, 4, or 5 driving automation system and consists of the hardware and software that are collectively capable of performing the entire Dynamic Driving Task on a sustained basis, regardless of whether it is limited to a specific operational design domain.

Connected vehicle – can connect wirelessly through dedicated short-range communications or cellular and internet networks to communicate with other vehicles, transportation infrastructure, and other elements of the modern surface transportation system.

Connected and automated vehicle – generally refers to all advanced technologies and systems that facilitate vehicle connectivity or automation. Recognizing that advanced driver assistance systems also incorporate low levels of automation, we have chosen to include Transport Canada’s work on these technologies under the umbrella of “connected and automated vehicle” in the context of this Safety Framework.

National Safety Mark – shows that a vehicle or equipment complies with the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and its associated regulations and safety standards. Transport Canada authorizes its use and any company that intends to use a National Safety Mark must apply to do so.

SAE Levels of Automation – According to the SAE International’s Taxonomy and Definitions for Terms Related to On-Road Motor Vehicle Automated Driving Systems, levels range from 0 to 5, where Level 0 is no automation and Level 5 is fully automated. Vehicles available in Canada today span SAE Levels 0 to 2.

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