Safety Check Every Other Year (Ontario)?

Hi


I sold some parts to a guy today. He told me that his mechanic (in the Toronto area) told him that in 2015, the Ontario government will be implementing a program whereby every vehicle older than 7 years old will have to have a full safety check done to it every other year.

I called B.S. on this story but in truth I wouldn't put it past the government to pull a stunt like this. This guy told me he didn't believe it either but his mechanic swears it's true.

I've done Google searches and couldn't find anything on this so I figured I'd ask here in hopes that someone knows the truth?


Thanks,
Dave

I'm afraid it could be true ... if Bill 173, Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Keeping Ontario's Roads Safe), 2014 passes ...
It has already passed 1st reading ...

http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bills_detail.do?locale=en&BillID=2956

Its just 1 'small' part of the entire Bill ... and difficult to understand as it doesn't give many details at this point ...
It simply states that 'THE MINISTER' can do whatever he wants as far as setting up regular 'safety inspections' and 'inspection centre's' at his discretion ...

Its well worth reading the details of the bill on the government site!!!!
It could effect every car/truck in Ontario ... and there has been almost no information to the media or public on this one area of Bill #173 ...
I'm sure they will inform the public AFTER or IF it passes ...

I think anyone who owns a vehicle in Ontario would be pretty upset about it ... if they knew ...

I wonder if the minister has any clue as to how many cars there are in Ontario that are over 7 years old, the amount of time a mechanic has to take to do a complete inspection and how few qualified mechanics there are in Ontario.... I doubt it would be physically possible as it takes several hours to do a full thorough inspection for each vehicle.

Russ

$$$$$$$ $$$ $$$$$$$ $$$$$$
Christ I will never back to the home land !

wrascal said:

I wonder if the minister has any clue as to how many cars there are in Ontario that are over 7 years old, the amount of time a mechanic has to take to do a complete inspection and how few qualified mechanics there are in Ontario.... I doubt it would be physically possible as it takes several hours to do a full thorough inspection for each vehicle.

Russ

Click to expand...

I fear its more about the $$$$ then the actual safety???

Bash

DavidP said:

I'm afraid it could be true ... if Bill 173, Highway Traffic Amendment Act (Keeping Ontario's Roads Safe), 2014 passes ...
It has already passed 1st reading ...

http://www.ontla.on.ca/web/bills/bills_detail.do?locale=en&BillID=2956

Its just 1 'small' part of the entire Bill ... and difficult to understand as it doesn't give many details at this point ...
It simply states that 'THE MINISTER' can do whatever he wants as far as setting up regular 'safety inspections' and 'inspection centre's' at his discretion ...

Its well worth reading the details of the bill on the government site!!!!
It could effect every car/truck in Ontario ... and there has been almost no information to the media or public on this one area of Bill #173 ...
I'm sure they will inform the public AFTER or IF it passes ...

I think anyone who owns a vehicle in Ontario would be pretty upset about it ... if they knew ...

Click to expand...

DavidP, thank you VERY much for the link and for explaining what's in the bill. I read it twice and being the numbskull I am, only understood a tiny bit of it. Is the part you that concerns the safety checks this part? :

"100.2 (1) The Minister may establish a program to provide for the inspection of vehicles and the issuance of safety standards certificates, structural inspection certificates, annual inspection certificates and stickers and semi-annual inspection certificates and stickers and other types of proof of inspection."

Or :

"100.7 (1) The Director of Vehicle Inspection Standards may make directives,
(a) governing the issuance of safety standards certificates, structural inspection certificates, annual inspection certificates and stickers and semi-annual inspection certificates and stickers and other types of proof of inspection;"



I see under "Miscellaneous" this :


"Current section 85 of the Act requires that vehicles display a device affixed to them as evidence that the vehicle complies with inspection requirements and performance standards. Section 85 is amended to require vehicles to display an annual inspection sticker and a semi-annual inspection sticker (if it is prescribed), or other prescribed proof of inspection instead."


I'm very confused about this. Can anybody here decipher it for me?

If we go to annual safety checks or safety checks every other year, I'm not going to be able to keep up with a 'fleet' of old cars and my regular beater. I can't be safety checking all my cars every year or two (on top of E-tests and $90/year stickers). Just regular maintenance and repairs is expensive enough.


********
Wrascal, I think what you said about the amount of time it would take mechanics to go through all the cars and the cost is a true problem and a big issue but I don't think the government would care about that. It's up to the common citizens to make appointments with mechanics and they'll be happy as pigs in shnit when they find out this is mandatory ---- their business will be BOOMING! They'll be rolling in the dough. (Our dough.)

I see this taking a massive toll on the lower income middle class and higher income lower class - what my dad calls, "The Working Poor."
Think of the guy who's got a kid and making $30K a year working one or two crappy jobs. He's got a 12 or 15 year old car that he PRAYS will start every day just to get him back and forth to work. Take that car away from him and his life is screwed. He's already got to deal with an E-test, now if he has to deal with a safety every other year, he's done for.
A law like this will be a massive game changer to the working class as well as us hot rodders.

wrascal said:

I wonder if the minister has any clue as to how many cars there are in Ontario that are over 7 years old, the amount of time a mechanic has to take to do a complete inspection and how few qualified mechanics there are in Ontario.... I doubt it would be physically possible as it takes several hours to do a full thorough inspection for each vehicle.

Russ

Click to expand...

AHH, there lies the rub - apparently the government will decide who does these safeties and it doesn't need to be mechanic, qualified or not.. Just another big tax grab from our Liberal Ontario government so they can go piss it down the drain like they've been doing for years.

Here's what I got from my )NDP) mpp. Obviously they don't much care. With no group to represent us we're an easy target.

Hi Mike,



I’ve read the bill and the notes on the bill.



Nothing in the bill explicitly calls for any changes to the current safety inspection protocol with respect to frequency of inspections, nor does it affect the Drive Clean program. The bill does however, create a new set of parameters around who will be authorized to carry out inspections. It also gives the Minister some new powers in setting up this new regime. From reading the notes and Hansard, it seems that these changes are really intended to target unscrupulous vehicle inspection stations, and the practice of putting cars that have been written off from collisions back on the road with fraudulent inspection reports.



The bill’s status is currently at second reading and being debated in the Legislature. Provided it passes second reading it will be referred to committee. I would suggest your group, and others that would like to see some changes to this bill, be prepared to testify at the committee, and/or send written submissions.



If you would like, I can keep your information on hand and let you know when the bill is referred to committee. I will then put you in touch with the clerk of that committee. The clerk can advise how best to make a submission.

Chopchop said:

"Current section 85 of the Act requires that vehicles display a device affixed to them as evidence that the vehicle complies with inspection requirements and performance standards. Section 85 is amended to require vehicles to display an annual inspection sticker and a semi-annual inspection sticker (if it is prescribed), or other prescribed proof of inspection instead."

Click to expand...

Not to add more concern, but "semi-annual" means twice per year, or every six months. Not once every two years.

We here in NS already have a 2 year inspection on vehicles, unless it's a brand new vehicle then you're good for 5 years before going for your first inspection.
As for collector or modified vehicles, once it passes a mechanically fitness test and receive it's certification, then it never needs another one done, I find that rather strange.
I guess it's because it's for pleasure use only and doesn't get driven that much.

47Convert,

Thank you for trying to get more info for us!

Seeing they have already admitted that they are ripping us off on drive clean this is their latest version. I would imagine their idea of a safety check will be having some clown plug a obd2 reader in for faults.... sound familiar....Of course seeing this involves the word safety and having a highly trained tech I would think it will only be twice the cost of the present ripoff. With the right planning they can also overlap the two. Just to prove how much they care and to congratulate themselves on how they listen to those that pay them.

Ontarians getting screwed again and again and again.

In theory it might sound like they're concerned about "Safety" and keeping the wrecks off the road. But to me it's just another method of cashing in. Could it be a way to make up for the money they're losing from Drive Clean?. The majority of newer cars are passing the emissions test. So perhaps these new inspections will help generate some money for both the garages and government.

My car is 11 years old and in perfect condition. Depending on how particular the mechanic wants to be.... I'm sure they could find "something" that might not meet the requirements and force me into expensive repairs or the hassle of getting another test.

I'll never forget taking my old Plymouth to Canadian Tire for a safety. BIG MISTAKE. The guy who was interested in buying the car insisted I take it there. The A-hole mechanic found 101 things wrong with it. Holes in the floor, broken brake lines, leaky rad, seized parking brake, etc etc. I was so pissed off because I knew it was complete BS.

The car was solid and I demanded to be shown the holes in the floor. NONE. It was just a drain plug that had fallen out. The brake lines had been replaced 6 months earlier. Still had the bill of sale. No leaks. So I don't know who the hell they had doing the inspection but they cost me the sale. I took the car to another garage that same day and it passed with flying colours!!!.

So this is what we're up against if this becomes law. Hopefully we can find a mechanic that is trustworthy and won't be looking to make a big buck from this.