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A recent Transport Canada study on road safety found that that there are 6.6 million “unsafe vehicles” on the road in Canada.
What is an “unsafe vehicle”, exactly? Transport Canada is referring to vehicles that have been recalled, but have not actually been brought in for service to have the necessary repairs made. The total given by the Ministry represents one in five of the 33.3 million vehicles on the road as of 2019 that continue to circulate.
Of course, some recalls are for less serious issues than others, so the figure of 6.6 million includes a number of vehicles that aren’t actually “dangerous”. Still, many motorists are driving around with vehicles that are not properly maintained, and which are dangerous for everyone. In the majority of cases involving recalls, if repairs are not carried out quickly, the vehicle becomes a danger on the road, both for its owner and for other users of the network.
“Unresolved safety issues affecting vehicles, restraint systems for children and disabled persons, and tires can lead to property damage, injury or even death,” the study warns.
New rules have been proposed by Transport Canada. These would force companies issuing recalls to publish related information on their websites to raise public awareness and get recalled models repaired more quickly. Manufacturers would also be obliged to provide a search tool for vehicle inspection numbers on their websites to provide details of recalls.
The truth is that not all owners of affected vehicles learn of recall campaigns. This is especially the case if the vehicle has been bought and sold one or more times. At that point, the manufacturer may no longer be able to find them.
Hence the importance for vehicle owners taking steps to stay informed about vehicle recalls. And if you hear about a recall campaign, think about those around you, and see if anyone owns one of the recalled vehicles. Sharing information can ultimately save lives, or at least a lot of inconvenience.