Hi everyone,
Although I am not a JDM owner (hopefully in the future that will be fixed), I do have a lot of friends with them. After talking to a bunch of people about this ongoing issue I decided to write a letter to the "powers that be" and annoy them a bit. So below is the response and below that the original letter.
I was informed that when the time comes to the government making a decision they will post it under the http://www.canadagazette.gc.ca/ Part 1 section and we will have 75 to vote on the issue. So I plan to be checking that site often.
Good morning. Thank you for your recent web mail pertaining to the 15-year rule. The Motor Vehicle Safety Act (MVSA) was enacted to enable the Governor in Council to develop regulations to promote the safety of the travelling public. The Act's mandate is to regulate the manufacture and importation of vehicles and vehicle equipment to reduce the risk of death, injury and damage to property and the environment.
Under the MVSA, all vehicles imported into Canada must comply with all applicable Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS), and the manufacturers must certify their compliance at the time of the main assembly. The MVSA is based on self-certification by the manufacturer and provides for audit and verification rights to the Minister.
Regarding the importation of vehicles, subsection 4(2) of the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations (MVSR) states that vehicles, with the exception of buses, that were manufactured 15 years or more before the date of their importation into Canada, are excluded from the safety standards applicable to their particular class of vehicle. This allowance was intended mainly for limited use by hobbyists and collectors and poses minimal risk to road users, since these vehicles were by and large not employed for everyday use at the time this rule was established in 1986.
Since both Canada and the U.S. use manufacturer-based self-certification systems, the MVSA allows the importation of vehicles less than 15 years old that are sold at the retail level in the U.S. market, provided the vehicles complied fully with all applicable U.S. federal laws, and with specific mandatory Canadian safety standards, such as seat belt anchorages, applicable at the time of the vehicle's main assembly. These vehicles subsequently have to be modified to comply with additional Canadian requirements in areas such as daytime running lamps, bilingual labelling, etc. before being presented for licensing by a province or territory. Importation of these vehicles is managed through the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) program and details may be found at http://www.riv.ca.
Vehicles less than 15 years old which are not certified to Canada or U.S. safety standards are currently not permitted into Canada. This is because differences in vehicle safety regulation regimes do not allow the determination of safety equivalency. In addition, the MVSA does not confer discretionary powers to provincial and territorial transport ministers nor to other federal government officials to certify the compliance of a vehicle or to negate the legislative requirements of the law.
Transport Canada has been asked by the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA), which represents provincial, territorial and federal governments, to amend the 15-year rule for vehicle imports and align it with the U.S. threshold of 25 years. Reasons for this request include the fact that most, if not all of these vehicles, are not certified to the CMVSS.
Concurrent to CCMTA's request, Transport Canada has noted a significant increase in recent years in the importation of 15-year old and older vehicles for everyday use. Therefore, the Department is proposing to amend this threshold to 25 years in order to return the regulation to its original intent, i.e. to promote the safety of the travelling public. This amendment will also align the age threshold with the U.S. 25-year rule for vehicle importation. Transport Canada expects to publish details of the proposed amendment in the Canada Gazette Part I this year. At that point, all interested parties will have 75 days to submit their comments. Information on how to submit comments will be published together with the proposal and will be available at the following website: www.canadagazette.gc.ca.
Please be aware that although this proposed amendment would not affect right hand drive vehicles already in Canada, it is the provincial and territorial governments that have complete authority over public road use and vehicle and driver licensing. The highway traffic acts of each province or territory establish the legal responsibilities for motor vehicle owners and operators and set the rules for the types of vehicles that can be operated on public roads. As Transport Canada does not have jurisdiction over the licensing of used vehicles, any concerns regarding the licensing of used vehicles should be addressed to the province or territory in which the vehicle would be licensed.
We trust that the foregoing has provided you with the safety-motivated rationale behind Transport Canada's and the provinces' desire to amend the 15-year rule.
Regulations Officer / Agent de règlements
Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation Directorate / Sécurité routière et réglementation automobile
Transport Canada / Transports Canada
MotorVehicleStandardsResearch@tc.gc.ca
-----Original Message-----
From: Maciej (Mat) Radoszewski [mailto:fantomdesigns@shaw.ca]
Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 2:46 AM
To: WEB Feedback
Subject: Right Hand Drive vehicles in Canada
Hello,
I am a well established business owner in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, as well as an active member in an off-roading club called Coastal Cruisers. Contrary to popular belief an off-roading club is not a club that destroys nature, we are actually very active in preserving it and making sure that our environment is here for generations to come.
That aside, this letter is in regards to the proposed ban on imported right hand drive vehicles into Canada. I have recently read several articles from different sources as well as heard of the government motion in this area and I disagree with it very strongly. I, myself am not an owner of a right hand drive vehicle, not yet at least, nor am I an importer, but I also am not a person who is willing to stand by and watch as people make unfair decisions about issues they may not have all of the facts about.
Throughout my research I have been able to find out the criteria by which ICBC decides whether a vehicle is allowed to be registered, some of those requirements include the following:
DOT approved windows, any glass, light covers.
Day-time running lights.
Headlight conversions for this side of the road.
Brake light in the rear window
Here are the facts:
In the issue of importing a vehicle out of Japan, the safety standards from the factory and by Japan's automotive department are actually higher then DOT standards. This has been proven with a report from the manufacturer.
Day-time running lights, the vehicles that are the equivalent of the imported vehicles in the 80's did not have running light. I own an 1984 Toyota Landcruiser Left Hand drive, made for the Canadian market bought originally at White Rock Toyota, my vehicle never had Day-time running lights, even as an extra option.
Any place that imports vehicles (that is an actual business) will automatically convert the headlights.
Brake light in the rear window, as mentioned in the "Day-time running lights" issue, this was never an option in vehicles made for the Canadian Market.
I can see that people might be leery of imported vehicles and Right Hand drive vehicles because they were not made for this market, in fact they were made for (in this case) a Japanese market, where the standards are much higher then here. A vehicle goes through a yearly full mechanical inspection before being allowed to be insured for another year. As for the fact that a Right Hand drive vehicle is dangerous in this country, I personally find that incorrect. When in a passing situation, a person that cannot see oncoming traffic should not pass, this of course only applies in a one lane per direction scenario. In a Right Hand drive vehicle it is actually safer to pass because you have a better visibility from the shoulder side of the road when trying to pass, as opposed to having to come into on coming traffic to see if there is anyone there. When it comes to making turns, there is no difference which side of the vehicle you sit on, if you are making a left turn on an intersection and there is a vehicle in front of you it is actually better to sit on the right side to see oncoming traffic that you cannot see when you are on the left. When parallel parking on busy streets it is actually safer to get out of the vehicle as you are on the side that the curb is on.
There are many reason why there is no threat from Right Hand Drive vehicles, but there is one major question when it comes to the ban against them. Who is really opposed to them being here? There are on average, right now, about 200 vehicles registered in B.C. a month, 2400 a year, with an approximate value of $15,000 each, that is $36,000,000 in B.C. alone that is lost from the domestic market. Now this money does not disappear into thin air, it goes to the small business owners that own the import companies and then it goes back into taxes. The only thing is that it does not go into is the large corporations. I, as many other people who are against this, are of a firm belief that this issue has nothing to do with safety, but with loss of money by large corporations.
Personally I have not see a new vehicle that I would like to buy, these days vehicles are built with a lifespan of 10 years and then they are to be recycled. I currently drive a vehicle that is over 20 years old and has 450,000 km on an original engine with no problems. If the local dealers would import the vehicles that are constructed better and last longer then I would actually purchase them, until that day comes I will do everything in my power to either restore old vehicles or buy better imported ones.
Thank you for your time.
Maciej (Mat) Radoszewski
Fantom Designs
--
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.7/713 - Release Date: 3/7/2007 9:24 AM
Although I am not a JDM owner (hopefully in the future that will be fixed), I do have a lot of friends with them. After talking to a bunch of people about this ongoing issue I decided to write a letter to the "powers that be" and annoy them a bit. So below is the response and below that the original letter.
I was informed that when the time comes to the government making a decision they will post it under the http://www.canadagazette.gc.ca/ Part 1 section and we will have 75 to vote on the issue. So I plan to be checking that site often.
Good morning. Thank you for your recent web mail pertaining to the 15-year rule. The Motor Vehicle Safety Act (MVSA) was enacted to enable the Governor in Council to develop regulations to promote the safety of the travelling public. The Act's mandate is to regulate the manufacture and importation of vehicles and vehicle equipment to reduce the risk of death, injury and damage to property and the environment.
Under the MVSA, all vehicles imported into Canada must comply with all applicable Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (CMVSS), and the manufacturers must certify their compliance at the time of the main assembly. The MVSA is based on self-certification by the manufacturer and provides for audit and verification rights to the Minister.
Regarding the importation of vehicles, subsection 4(2) of the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations (MVSR) states that vehicles, with the exception of buses, that were manufactured 15 years or more before the date of their importation into Canada, are excluded from the safety standards applicable to their particular class of vehicle. This allowance was intended mainly for limited use by hobbyists and collectors and poses minimal risk to road users, since these vehicles were by and large not employed for everyday use at the time this rule was established in 1986.
Since both Canada and the U.S. use manufacturer-based self-certification systems, the MVSA allows the importation of vehicles less than 15 years old that are sold at the retail level in the U.S. market, provided the vehicles complied fully with all applicable U.S. federal laws, and with specific mandatory Canadian safety standards, such as seat belt anchorages, applicable at the time of the vehicle's main assembly. These vehicles subsequently have to be modified to comply with additional Canadian requirements in areas such as daytime running lamps, bilingual labelling, etc. before being presented for licensing by a province or territory. Importation of these vehicles is managed through the Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) program and details may be found at http://www.riv.ca.
Vehicles less than 15 years old which are not certified to Canada or U.S. safety standards are currently not permitted into Canada. This is because differences in vehicle safety regulation regimes do not allow the determination of safety equivalency. In addition, the MVSA does not confer discretionary powers to provincial and territorial transport ministers nor to other federal government officials to certify the compliance of a vehicle or to negate the legislative requirements of the law.
Transport Canada has been asked by the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA), which represents provincial, territorial and federal governments, to amend the 15-year rule for vehicle imports and align it with the U.S. threshold of 25 years. Reasons for this request include the fact that most, if not all of these vehicles, are not certified to the CMVSS.
Concurrent to CCMTA's request, Transport Canada has noted a significant increase in recent years in the importation of 15-year old and older vehicles for everyday use. Therefore, the Department is proposing to amend this threshold to 25 years in order to return the regulation to its original intent, i.e. to promote the safety of the travelling public. This amendment will also align the age threshold with the U.S. 25-year rule for vehicle importation. Transport Canada expects to publish details of the proposed amendment in the Canada Gazette Part I this year. At that point, all interested parties will have 75 days to submit their comments. Information on how to submit comments will be published together with the proposal and will be available at the following website: www.canadagazette.gc.ca.
Please be aware that although this proposed amendment would not affect right hand drive vehicles already in Canada, it is the provincial and territorial governments that have complete authority over public road use and vehicle and driver licensing. The highway traffic acts of each province or territory establish the legal responsibilities for motor vehicle owners and operators and set the rules for the types of vehicles that can be operated on public roads. As Transport Canada does not have jurisdiction over the licensing of used vehicles, any concerns regarding the licensing of used vehicles should be addressed to the province or territory in which the vehicle would be licensed.
We trust that the foregoing has provided you with the safety-motivated rationale behind Transport Canada's and the provinces' desire to amend the 15-year rule.
Regulations Officer / Agent de règlements
Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation Directorate / Sécurité routière et réglementation automobile
Transport Canada / Transports Canada
MotorVehicleStandardsResearch@tc.gc.ca
-----Original Message-----
From: Maciej (Mat) Radoszewski [mailto:fantomdesigns@shaw.ca]
Sent: Tuesday, February 27, 2007 2:46 AM
To: WEB Feedback
Subject: Right Hand Drive vehicles in Canada
Hello,
I am a well established business owner in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, as well as an active member in an off-roading club called Coastal Cruisers. Contrary to popular belief an off-roading club is not a club that destroys nature, we are actually very active in preserving it and making sure that our environment is here for generations to come.
That aside, this letter is in regards to the proposed ban on imported right hand drive vehicles into Canada. I have recently read several articles from different sources as well as heard of the government motion in this area and I disagree with it very strongly. I, myself am not an owner of a right hand drive vehicle, not yet at least, nor am I an importer, but I also am not a person who is willing to stand by and watch as people make unfair decisions about issues they may not have all of the facts about.
Throughout my research I have been able to find out the criteria by which ICBC decides whether a vehicle is allowed to be registered, some of those requirements include the following:
DOT approved windows, any glass, light covers.
Day-time running lights.
Headlight conversions for this side of the road.
Brake light in the rear window
Here are the facts:
In the issue of importing a vehicle out of Japan, the safety standards from the factory and by Japan's automotive department are actually higher then DOT standards. This has been proven with a report from the manufacturer.
Day-time running lights, the vehicles that are the equivalent of the imported vehicles in the 80's did not have running light. I own an 1984 Toyota Landcruiser Left Hand drive, made for the Canadian market bought originally at White Rock Toyota, my vehicle never had Day-time running lights, even as an extra option.
Any place that imports vehicles (that is an actual business) will automatically convert the headlights.
Brake light in the rear window, as mentioned in the "Day-time running lights" issue, this was never an option in vehicles made for the Canadian Market.
I can see that people might be leery of imported vehicles and Right Hand drive vehicles because they were not made for this market, in fact they were made for (in this case) a Japanese market, where the standards are much higher then here. A vehicle goes through a yearly full mechanical inspection before being allowed to be insured for another year. As for the fact that a Right Hand drive vehicle is dangerous in this country, I personally find that incorrect. When in a passing situation, a person that cannot see oncoming traffic should not pass, this of course only applies in a one lane per direction scenario. In a Right Hand drive vehicle it is actually safer to pass because you have a better visibility from the shoulder side of the road when trying to pass, as opposed to having to come into on coming traffic to see if there is anyone there. When it comes to making turns, there is no difference which side of the vehicle you sit on, if you are making a left turn on an intersection and there is a vehicle in front of you it is actually better to sit on the right side to see oncoming traffic that you cannot see when you are on the left. When parallel parking on busy streets it is actually safer to get out of the vehicle as you are on the side that the curb is on.
There are many reason why there is no threat from Right Hand Drive vehicles, but there is one major question when it comes to the ban against them. Who is really opposed to them being here? There are on average, right now, about 200 vehicles registered in B.C. a month, 2400 a year, with an approximate value of $15,000 each, that is $36,000,000 in B.C. alone that is lost from the domestic market. Now this money does not disappear into thin air, it goes to the small business owners that own the import companies and then it goes back into taxes. The only thing is that it does not go into is the large corporations. I, as many other people who are against this, are of a firm belief that this issue has nothing to do with safety, but with loss of money by large corporations.
Personally I have not see a new vehicle that I would like to buy, these days vehicles are built with a lifespan of 10 years and then they are to be recycled. I currently drive a vehicle that is over 20 years old and has 450,000 km on an original engine with no problems. If the local dealers would import the vehicles that are constructed better and last longer then I would actually purchase them, until that day comes I will do everything in my power to either restore old vehicles or buy better imported ones.
Thank you for your time.
Maciej (Mat) Radoszewski
Fantom Designs
--
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.446 / Virus Database: 268.18.7/713 - Release Date: 3/7/2007 9:24 AM
Not competition right? Who cares really, if they start selling, maybe Toyota will start bringing in what we want.