"OEM or Illegal" or Just Better Street Vehicle Safety

Next year we're getting new vehicle inspection standards for light duty vehicles, required to license vehicles changing ownership.

Here's the link:
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/tru...n-standard.pdf

It'll be opposed by the Ricers who want to slam a street vehicle for personalization - which is likely a good step - but I wonder whether it might also affect some bonofide racers who also use their street vehicles for racing.

Here's the organized opposition link, from the President of Summer Slam Charity Events et al:
https://www.change.org/p/the-honorab...passenger-cars

Do you think this will affect the tuning industry as suggested, or just the auto personalization industry?

If you read the actual bill and changes, it won't affect enthusiasts in any way. Things that are illegal in it are already illegal. The biggest changes are taking away grey areas for people doing safety checks.

I've read through this looking specifically for the mod involving removing the OEM steering wheel and replacing with an aftermarket that doesn't have an airbag. Transport Canada referred me to the MTO who has yet to get back to me. Does anyone know for sure if I'll be breaking any laws IF I do this?

Even if it's not illegal, your insurance company might have an opinion about insuring the car afterwards. From an MTO standpoint, it would be no different than not replacing a deployed airbag, which IIRC just requires a signed waiver acknowledging you accept the risk. That may have changed though, haven't looked at it that in a bunch of years.

I'll absolutely be checking with my insurance company.

Hi All,

Please feel free to click this link, it's a taste of what's coming. Reading it and interpreting it our way maybe rational, but please remember, it's "Politicians" that we are talking about, not car enthusiasts. Things like making 4 point harnesses illegal unless you mount them "NOT" in the stock location. Remember your car was engineered with strategic anchor points, and under this new law, you're not allowed to use the existing anchor points for 4 points.

Also, removing any steering wheel with air bags rendering your track car illegal. Please have a read through what Quebec has implemented and be prepared for the same interpretation to show up here.

Quebec Gov “For the Public” Version of their own laws
http://www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/publicati...ng_driving.pdf

Hmmm. Interesting read. If Ontario adopts something similar, then my steering wheel mod is clearly not allowed. The bright side is that I won't be spending almost $600.

It seems to me that these new rules are for safety checks, so if you are modifying your car for personal use with no intention to sell it you should be fine... as well with regards to aftermarket steering wheels, they are currently legal in ontario (even removing airbags is legal), and nothing in this new safety rules suggests that you will have a problem if you put an aftermarket wheel on, unless you take a car with an aftermarket wheel in to get a safety test. Having looked at the old safety rules, there are some changes but generally the biggest difference is that these new rules are much more clear and concise. Personally i think we'll all be fine. I could be completely off base however, as I got really bored reading it and skipped alot.

That's the way I read the MTO document Jack. The Quebec document is another matter. :(

yea, the quebec document shouldnt have any bearing on us though quebec and ontario are governed very differently, so i think we should be fine. if not, just tape an airbag to an omp wheel or something, it'll all be ok... you know until you crash, but hey, live for today!

Too late, the Ontario version of the Quebec document has already gone through the first reading... That's why we want to influence it positively for Ontario. If it goes through exactly like it is, we are in deeeeeep krap. It's not only during purchase or resale, it's anytime a police officer stops you, so you can be given a ticket by a person that knows nothing about motorsports.

if this quebec style law, if it goes through going to be retroactive? because for me personally who bought a car with hid kits and aftermarket wheels cant afford the cost of going back, buying the oem part, and then paying to have it installed.

Where did everyone hear that ontario is adopting laws like the quebec ones because ive not been able to find any information about it anywhere. Can someone send me a link, or show me an announcement or an article or something?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Jack

Where did everyone hear that ontario is adopting laws like the quebec ones because ive not been able to find any information about it anywhere. Can someone send me a link, or show me an announcement or an article or something?

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I haven't been able to find anything suggesting Ontario is following Quebec either.

It's just a possibility...that's all.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JoeT

Hi All,

......Please have a read through what Quebec has implemented and be prepared for the same interpretation to show up here.

Quebec Gov “For the Public” Version of their own laws
http://www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/publicati...ng_driving.pdf

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But there was mention that a quebec style document had already passed first reading in ontario... but i cant seem to find any information about it at all. Does anybody else know anything about this?

Jack, the way I understand this thread is...
post#11 is referring to the document in post#1.

The sad part is that I see this as the beginning of the end for human driven vehicles. First they take away what we can and can't do and then before you know it, they've taken the wheel too.

this is all too confusing... im just going to buy a steering wheel and hope for the best. If it is illegal then i have an excuse to racecar