Safety Standards Information

        Under Construction
Taken from the Mechanical fitness {safety standards} manual Ontario Canada.
Information pertaining to propane fuel systems and not pertaining to buggies has been omitted.

Schedule 1
Inspection Requirements and Performance Standards
for Commercial Vehicles and Motor Vehicles, Except Motorcycles.

1. [1] The body, sheet metal and equipment shall be inspected and tested for conditions hazardous to occupants, pedestrians or vehicles and,
[a] no bumper, fender, or mudguard shall have been removed;
[b] each bumper shall be securely mounted;
[c] each mud flap, where applicable, shall be in position;
[d] no bumper, fender, molding or other part shall have a broken. bent or sharp edge that protrudes in such a way as to constitute a hazard to persons or vehicles;
[e] no hood latch shall be missing or fail to hold the hood closed and no safety catch, in the case of a front opening hood shall be missing or inoperative;
[i] where originally installed by the manufacturer, no energy absorbing material shall be missing from stanchions and guard rails or from the tops or sides of seat backs;
[j] every occupant seat shall be securely mounted and shall maintain its position and adjustment;
[k] where required under the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Canada), no seat belt assembly or its anchorages shall have been removed, rendered partly or wholly inoperative, or modified so as to reduce their effectiveness;
[l] if fitted with a seat belt assembly or assemblies, each belt anchorage shall be secure, each buckle and retractor shall operate as intended, and no belt webbing shall be visibly damaged so as to reduce its effectiveness;
[m] if fitted, a driver's sun visor shall function as intended;

2. The occupant compartment door or doors shall be inspected and tested and,
[a] each occupant compartment door shall open freely when its release mechanism is actuated and shall close securely, and the flexible material on vertical closing edges, where originally fitted , shall not be missing or excessively loose or torn;

3. Every exterior compartment door, if fitted , shall be inspected and tested and,
[a] each door shall be securely attached to the body;
[b] each door shall function properly; and,
[c] each door shall be equipped with a lock, latch, or spring device that shall hold the door closed.

4. The chassis frame, under body and body mounts shall be inspected and,
[a] no chassis frame member or structural member of a unitized or monocoque body shall be visibly cracked, perforated by corrosion, or have loose or missing connecting fasteners that may degrade the safety of the vehicle or jeopardize its handling characteristics; and
[b] the under body, excluding the under body of a separate cargo body, shall not be visibly perforated by rust or otherwise damaged, or have any opening other than those intended by the manufacturer or a vent referred to in sub clause 3 (g)(v) to schedule 7.

5. The drive shaft hanger brackets and guards, where originally fitted, shall be inspected and,
[a] No fasteners shall be missing, loose or damaged; and
[b] No drive shaft guard or hanger bracket shall be insecure or missing.

6. The condition and security of each prescribed mirror shall be inspected and,
[a] No prescribed mirror shall be missing;
[b] Each mirror shall be securely mounted and maintain a set adjustment;
[c] No mirror shall be cracked, broken or have any significant reduction in reflecting surface owing to deterioration of the silvering; and
[d] in the case of a motor vehicle where there is no rear window, or the view through the rear window is restricted in such a way as not to afford a driver a clear view to the rear of the vehicle, the outside rear view mirror or mirrors shall not be missing.

7. The windshield and windows shall be inspected and tested and,
[a] where glass is used there shall be no evidence of its being other than safety glass;
[b] any manufacturer's marking,
 [i] on the windshield shall be AS1 or AS10,
 [ii] on the side and rear windows at levels requisite for driving visibility shall be AS1, AS2, AS4, AS6, AS10 or AS11, and
 [iii] on windows for standing passengers, in interior partitions or in openings in the roof shall be AS1, AS2, AS3, AS4, AS5, AS6, AS7, AS10, AS11, AS12, OR AS13.
[c] no material that obstructs the driver's view of the highway or an intersecting highway shall be fitted in the opening to the left or right of the drivers seat;
[d] no material other than safety glass shall be used for a windshield
[e] no safety glass in the windshield or in any side window to the left or right of the driver's seat shall be crazed, clouded or fogged, so as to materially impair vision;
[f] no safety glass shall have exposed sharp edges or be missing in part;
[g] banding on exposed edges of safety glass, if originally fitted, shall not be missing, loose or broken;
[h] there shall be no star, stone chip or crack in the area of the  windshield swept by the driver's wiper blade, that may interfere with the driver's vision; and
[i] any window to the left of the driver's seat that is suitable for the purpose of permitting a signal by means of the hand or arm shall open readily.

8. The fuel system shall be inspected and tested and,
[a] no mounting or attachment shall be missing or insecure;
[b] no filler cap shall be missing or insecure; and
[c] no leakage shall be present at any point in the fuel system.

9. The exhaust system including manifolds, shall be inspected and,
[a] no exhaust pipe, muffler or tail pipe shall be missing or insecurely mounted;
[b] no leakage shall be present at any point in the exhaust system, except through drain holes provided by the manufacturer;
[c] no component thereof shall be so located as to cause charring or other heat damage to any wiring, fuel line, brake line or combustible material of the vehicle;
[d] no component thereof shall pass through the occupant compartment;
[e] no component thereof shall be so located or unguarded that an individual may be burned thereby entering or leaving the vehicle; and
[f] no exhaust system shall be shortened or modified from the original equipment so as to fail to direct the exhaust beyond the under body of the occupant compartment or luggage compartment, and in no case shall the distance from the outlet and periphery of the under body, past which it directs the exhaust, exceeds 15 centimeters.

11. Where a trailer hitch is installed, the trailer hitch, hitch mounting and connecting devices for safety cables and chains shall be inspected and tested and,
[a] no trailer hitch or towing structure, to which a trailer hitch is attached shall be insecurely mounted;
[b] no latch mechanism shall fail to close securely;
[c] no part shall be missing, cracked, broken, excessively bent, seized or excessively worn;
[d] no cast or forged part shall show any indication that repairs have been made by means of brazing or welding; and;
[e] no connecting devices provided at the rear of a vehicle for the attachment of a safety chain or cable shall be insecurely fastened, missing, cracked, broken or excessively worn.

BRAKES

2. [1] All hydraulic, vacuum and air system components, which are external to the wheel brakes, including reservoirs, fittings, valves, supports, hose clamps, connections, air chambers, air cleaners, and hoses and tubes other than those portions that are within structures and not visible, shall be inspected and tested and,
[a] with vacuum, hydraulic or air boost brakes fully charged, there shall be no hydraulic or vacuum leaks in the service brake system while the service brakes are fully applied or released;
[b] no hydraulic, air or vacuum hose or tube shall be abraded, restricted or crimped, cracked, broken, or be so located as to chafe against an part of the vehicle or have damaged or missing clamps or supports;
[c] the brake tubing shall not show any indication of leakage or heavy corrosion scaling;
[d] the hydraulic fluid level in any reservoir shall not be below the minimum level as specified by the manufacturer or where no specification is made by the manufacturer, no more than 10 millimeters below the lowest edge of each filler opening; and
[e] the air cleaner of the vacuum system or air compressor shall not be clogged.

[2] All mechanical components of the service, parking and emergency brake systems, which are external to the wheel or drive shaft brakes, shall be inspected and tested and no mechanical part shall be misaligned, insecure, excessively worn, broken, binding, seized, missing, frayed or disconnected.

[3] In the case of a motor vehicle equipped with hydraulic service brakes, the hydraulic system and related warning devices shall be tested and,
[a]a hydraulic master cylinder push rod shall be properly adjusted;
[b]in the case of a vehicle with dual circuit brakes, the brake failure warning lamp shall be operative;
[c]

Steering linkage play is not to exceed 6 mm, with the wheels supported off the ground in their normal running attitude, for a wheel designation of 16" or less,  about the vertical axis.
Kingpin play is not to exceed 6 mm, with the wheels supported off the ground in their normal running attitude, for a wheel designation of 16" or less, about the horizontal axis
Both of these are measured at the tires outermost diameter.

Tire construction and type {not including tread design} cannot be mixed on each axle. i.e. front axle  1 bias and  1 radial ply tire is not allowed  however radials on the front (better handling)  with bias ply on the rear (better traction)  is ok.


Useful Information for Canadian Buggy Builders.

From the Highway Traffic Act Regulations
 "historic vehicle" means a motor vehicle that,
(a) is at least thirty years old,
(b) is operated on a highway in parades, for purposes of exhibition, tours or similar functions organized by a properly constituted automobile club or for the purposes of repair, testing or demonstration for sale, and
(c) is substantially unchanged from the original manufacturer's product.


From a letter received from David Turnbull {Minister, Ministry of Transportation, Office of the Minister}
dated March 16, 2000.

The installation of lap seat belts in passenger vehicles became mandatory in 1971, although motor vehicle manufacturers had provided them on a voluntary basis since 1966. The provision of lap and shoulder belts in the front seat of motor vehicles has been mandatory since 1974, and in the rear seats since 1989.

Front side marker lights have been part of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act since it was first passed in 1972.

In response to your last question {exhaust noise limits}, please note that there are different test methods to measure noise levels, but in general, vehicles must comply with Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 1106, which limits noise levels to 80 decibels.

 Should you require more detailed information for the construction of your "kit car", you may wish to contact the Road Safety Directorate at Transport Canada  1-800-333-0371.
 

Return to the Kyote Web site