Standing Committee on Public Accounts

Comité permanent des comptes publics

For immediate release

Ottawa, May 30, 2017 -

Transport Canada’s regulatory framework was not adequate to respond to emerging safety risks and technological issues; consequently, the Department failed to ensure that Canadian-driven passenger vehicles had the highest possible safety features and technologies, according to a report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts tabled today in the House of Commons by the Hon. Kevin Sorenson, Chair of the Committee.

In the fall of 2016, the OAG released a performance audit that examined whether Transport Canada’s regulatory framework and its oversight of vehicle safety defects and recalls have been adequate to respond to emerging safety risks and issues in a timely manner.

In addition to the out-of-date regulatory framework, the audit concluded that, although Transport Canada’s oversight of vehicle safety defects and recalls was adequate, the Department knew little about the critical safety issues that manufacturers were investigating in their vehicles. As a result, this limited the Department’s ability to identify safety defects early and to influence manufacturers’ recalls.

In order to address these concerns, the Committee made seven recommendations to help ensure that Transport Canada is able to administer a robust and comprehensive passenger vehicle safety regime, to better ensure that Canada’s roads and highways are safer for all.