e-4944 (Transportation)

Petition to the Government of Canada

• Transport Canada oversees the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and sets minimum safety requirements for new vehicles in Canada;
• The best-selling passenger vehicles in Canada are pick-up trucks and SUVs, characterised by tall and blunt hoods;
• The increasing weight and hood height of pick-up trucks and SUVs pose significant dangers to other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and occupants of smaller vehicles;
• Electric vehicles are approximately 30% heavier than traditional internal combustion engine vehicles;
• Crashes involving vehicles with hood heights of 102 cm or higher are 45% more likely to result in pedestrian fatalities compared to vehicles with hood heights of 76 cm or less and a sloping profile;
• Crashes between vehicles with a mass difference of 454 kg are 47% more likely to result in fatalities for occupants of the smaller vehicles, including motorcyclists;
• Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standards currently only assess safety for drivers and occupants, neglecting the safety hazards vehicles pose to other road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and occupants of smaller vehicles;
• The Government of Canada’s Active Transportation Strategy aims to promote walking and cycling to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to Canada's response to climate change; and
• The Government of Canada’s Electric Vehicle Availability Standard will increase the proportion of new light-duty vehicles that are zero-emission electric vehicles over the next decade.