Road Safety in Canada – Improve Your Safety [PDF, 1.82 MB]
With millions of people traveling on Canadian roads every day, road safety remains a top priority for us at Transport Canada. We rigorously inspect and test cars, buses, trucks, child car seats, tires, and other products at our Motor Vehicle Test Centre and the Motor Vehicle Safety Investigation Laboratory to ensure they meet stringent safety standards. Our commitment to safety includes swift investigations and close monitoring of manufacturers’ recalls when defects are identified. Additionally, we conduct extensive research, gather critical data, and work closely with numerous stakeholders to inform our policies and programs, allowing us to address emerging road safety challenges and improve overall road safety for all Canadians. Through our ecoTECHNOLOGY for Vehicles (eTV) program, we also test and evaluate the safety, environmental impact, and performance of new vehicle technologies to reduce emissions and promote cleaner transportation.
Winter driving
There are many ways to prepare for winter weather so you can keep yourself and your loved ones safe on the road.
Child car seat safety
Choosing and installing a child car seat or booster seat, recall notices, safety and testing information.
Dangers of hot vehicles and children
Too many children have died in Canada from heatstroke because they were left unattended in a hot vehicle - this is known as paediatric vehicular heatstroke. These deaths are preventable. We can all play a role to ensure another child doesn't die because they were left alone in a hot vehicle.
Motor Carrier, Commercial Vehicles and Drivers
Motor carrier safety, work and rest hours, safety issue reports.
Learn more about motor carriers, commercial vehicles and drivers
Connected and automated vehicles
Connected vehicles use different types of wireless communications technologies to communicate with their surroundings. An automated vehicle uses a combination of sensors, controllers and onboard computers, along with sophisticated software, allowing the vehicle to control at least some driving functions, instead of a human driver. Connected and automated vehicles could radically change our transportation system.
Enforcement actions and reducing risks to motor vehicle safety
Find out more about enforcement options for a person or business found guilty of violating the Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
Driver assistance technologies
In recent years, there have been many advances in vehicle technologies. Some of these technologies can help you avoid or reduce the severity of a crash. Others provide better protection for occupants in the event of a crash.
School bus safety
School buses are the safest form of transportation in Canada. Taking a school bus is safer than any other way for students to travel to school, including riding a bicycle, being driven in a passenger vehicle or walking.
Defects and recalls of vehicles, tires and child car seats
Look up recalls, report a potential safety defect, find results of defect investigations, get recall updates and alerts.
Statistics and data on road safety
Statistics and data on air bags, bus safety, traffic collisions, driver distraction, seat belts.
Importing a vehicle
Vehicle imports (including kit cars, U.S. vehicles, non-regulated vehicles), temporary vehicle imports.
Zero-emission vehicles
Transportation is the second largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada. This accounts for a quarter of Canada's total GHG emissions and almost half of those emissions come from cars and light trucks. One way that we can reduce the amount of transportation-related GHG emissions is to get more zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) on the road.