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Version of document from 2014-12-12 to 2015-05-14:

Motor Vehicle Tire Safety Regulations

SOR/2013-198

MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY ACT

Registration 2013-11-08

Motor Vehicle Tire Safety Regulations

P.C. 2013-1151 2013-11-07

Whereas, pursuant to subsection 11(3) of the Motor Vehicle Safety ActFootnote a, a copy of the proposed Motor Vehicle Tire Safety Regulations, substantially in the form set out in the annexed Regulations, was published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, on February 11, 2012 and a reasonable opportunity was afforded to interested persons to make representations to the Minister of Transport with respect to the proposed Regulations;

Therefore, His Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Transport, pursuant to subsection 3(2), sections 4 and 5Footnote b, subsection 7(1), section 10 and subsection 11(1) of the Motor Vehicle Safety ActFootnote a, makes the annexed Motor Vehicle Tire Safety Regulations.

Interpretation

Marginal note:Definitions

  •  (1) The following definitions apply in these Regulations.

    Act

    Act means the Motor Vehicle Safety Act. (Loi)

    bead

    bead means the portion of a tire that is made of steel wires wrapped or reinforced by plies and that is shaped to fit the rim. (talon)

    bias ply tire

    bias ply tire means a tire in which the ply cords that extend to the beads are laid at alternate angles that are substantially less than 90° to the centreline of the tread. (pneu à carcasse diagonale)

    CMVSS

    CMVSS means Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. (NSVAC)

    FI tire

    FI tire means a tire designed for use only on farm implements that are occasionally driven or drawn on a road. (pneu pour instruments aratoires)

    load rating

    load rating means the maximum load a tire is rated to carry at a given inflation pressure. (charge nominale)

    maximum load rating

    maximum load rating means the load rating of a tire at the maximum permissible inflation pressure for that tire. (limite de charge nominale)

    maximum permissible inflation pressure

    maximum permissible inflation pressure means the maximum cold inflation pressure to which a tire may be inflated. (pression maximale permise de gonflage)

    ply

    ply means a layer of rubber-coated parallel cords. (pli)

    radial ply tire

    radial ply tire means a tire in which the ply cords that extend to the beads are laid at substantially 90° to the centreline of the tread. (pneu à carcasse radiale)

    rim

    rim means a support for a tire or a tire-and-tube assembly on which the beads are seated. (jante)

    sidewall

    sidewall means the portion of a tire that is between the tread and the bead. (flanc)

    ST tire

    ST tire means a tire designed for use only on trailers drawn on a road. (pneu à usage spécial)

    tread

    tread means the portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road. (bande de roulement)

    TSD 109

    TSD 109 means Technical Standards Document No. 109, New Tires and Certain Specialty Tires, as amended from time to time. (DNT 109)

    TSD 119

    TSD 119 means Technical Standards Document No. 119, New Tires for Motor Vehicles With a GVWR of More Than 4 536 kg and Motorcycles, as amended from time to time. (DNT 119)

    TSD 139

    TSD 139 means Technical Standards Document No. 139, New Radial Ply Tires for Motor Vehicles With a GVWR of 4 536 kg or Less, as amended from time to time. (DNT 139)

    T-type temporary-use spare tire

    T-type temporary-use spare tire means a temporary-use spare tire that is designed for use at inflation pressures that are higher than those established for standard and reinforced tires. (pneu de secours de type T à usage temporaire)

  • Marginal note:Terms defined in the MVSR

    (2) In these Regulations, GVWR, light-truck tire, motorcycle, passenger car, rim diameter and trailer have the same meaning as in subsection 2(1) of the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations.

  • Marginal note:Terms defined in TSD 109, 119 or 139

    (3) For the purposes of these Regulations, words and expressions used in TSD 109, TSD 119 or TSD 139 and not defined in that technical standards document but defined in either of those other technical standards documents have the same meaning as in that other technical standards document.

  • SOR/2014-307, s. 32

Marginal note:System of measurement

 If, in the application to a tire of a portion of a section of these Regulations or a portion of a provision of a technical standards document, either the metric or the imperial system of measurement is used, the same system of measurement must be used in the application to the tire of any other portion of the section or provision.

Prescribed Classes of Equipment and Prescribed Standards

CMVSS 109 — New Tires and Certain Specialty Tires

Marginal note:TSD 109

  •  (1) The following tires are prescribed as a class of equipment for the purposes of subsection 3(2) and sections 4 and 5 of the Act, and must conform to the requirements of TSD 109 and section 6:

    • (a) radial ply tires designed for use on a passenger car manufactured before January 1, 1975;

    • (b) bias ply tires; and

    • (c) T-type temporary-use spare tires.

  • Marginal note:Maximum permissible inflation pressure

    (2) The maximum permissible inflation pressure referred to in S4.3(b) of TSD 109 must be expressed in kilopascals, and may in addition, at the manufacturer’s option, be expressed in pounds per square inch.

  • Marginal note:Maximum load rating

    (3) The maximum load rating referred to in S4.3(c) of TSD 109 must be expressed in kilograms, and may in addition, at the manufacturer’s option, be expressed in pounds.

  • (4) [Repealed, SOR/2014-307, s. 33]

  • SOR/2014-307, s. 33

CMVSS 119 — New Tires for Motor Vehicles With a GVWR of More Than 4 536 kg and Motorcycles

Marginal note:TSD 119

  •  (1) The following tires, other than tires of the class prescribed by subsection 3(1), are prescribed as a class of equipment for the purposes of subsection 3(2) and sections 4 and 5 of the Act, and must conform to the requirements of TSD 119 and section 6:

    • (a) tires designed for use on a motor vehicle with a GVWR of more than 4 536 kg;

    • (b) tires designed for use on a motorcycle;

    • (c) light-truck tires with a tread depth of 1.43 cm or greater that are designed for use on a motor vehicle with a GVWR of 4 536 kg or less;

    • (d) ST tires;

    • (e) FI tires; and

    • (f) tires with a rim diameter code of 12 or lower.

  • Marginal note:Table III to TSD 119

    (2) For the purposes of subsection (1), Table III to TSD 119 is replaced by Table III to this subsection.

    Table III — Endurance Test Schedule

    DescriptionLoad rangeTest wheel speedTest load: Percent of maximum load ratingTotal test revolutions (thousands)
    km/hr/mI — 7 hoursII — 16 hoursIII — 24 hours
    Speed restricted service: 90 km/h (55 mph)All401256684101352.5
    80 km/h (50 mph)C, D481507597114423.0
    80 km/h (50 mph)E, F, G, H, J, L321006684101282.0
    56 km/h (35 mph)All24756684101211.5
    MotorcycleAll80250100Footnote for Table III — Endurance Test Schedule 1108Footnote for Table III — Endurance Test Schedule 2117510.0Footnote for Table III — Endurance Test Schedule 1,Footnote for Table III — Endurance Test Schedule 2
    All OtherA, B, C, D8025075Footnote for Table III — Endurance Test Schedule 197Footnote for Table III — Endurance Test Schedule 2114………….
    E642007088106564.0
    F642006684101564.0
    G561756684101493.5
    H, J, L, N481506684101423.0
  • (3) [Repealed, SOR/2014-307, s. 34]

  • SOR/2014-307, s. 34

CMVSS 139 — New Radial Ply Tires for Motor Vehicles With a GVWR of 4 536 kg or less

Marginal note:TSD 139

  •  (1) Tires, other than tires of a class prescribed by subsection 3(1) or 4(1), that are radial ply tires designed for use on a motor vehicle with a GVWR of 4 536 kg or less manufactured on or after January 1, 1975 are prescribed as a class of equipment for the purposes of subsection 3(2) and sections 4 and 5 of the Act, and must conform to the requirements of TSD 139 and section 6.

  • Marginal note:Maximum permissible inflation pressure

    (2) The maximum permissible inflation pressure referred to in S5.5(c) of TSD 139 must be expressed in kilopascals, and may in addition, at the manufacturer’s option, be expressed in pounds per square inch.

  • Marginal note:Maximum load rating

    (3) The maximum load rating referred to in S5.5(d) of TSD 139 must be expressed in kilograms, and may in addition, at the manufacturer’s option, be expressed in pounds.

  • Definition of winter tire

    (4) For the purposes of TSD 139, winter tire means a tire that

    • (a) when tested using the snow traction test described in ASTM F 1805 - 06, Standard Test Method for Single Wheel Driving Traction in a Straight Line on Snow- and Ice-Covered Surfaces, with medium pack snow and a test load equal to 74% of the test inflation rated load described in that test method, attains a traction index equal to or greater than 110 compared to a standard reference test tire that meets the requirements of ASTM E 1136 - 10, Standard Specification for P195/75R14 Radial Standard Reference Test Tire; and

    • (b) is marked on at least one sidewall with the Alpine Symbol specified in S5.5(i) of TSD 139.

  • (5) [Repealed, SOR/2014-307, s. 35]

  • SOR/2014-307, s. 35

Tire Identification Number

Marginal note:Tires of a class prescribed by subsection 3(1) or 4(1)

  •  (1) Every tire of a class prescribed by subsection 3(1) or 4(1) must have a tire identification number on one of its sidewalls.

  • Marginal note:Tires of a class prescribed by subsection 5(1)

    (2) Every tire of a class prescribed by subsection 5(1) must have

    • (a) a tire identification number on one of its sidewalls; and

    • (b) a tire identification number or a partial tire identification number on its other sidewall.

  • Marginal note:Manner and location

    (3) The tire identification number and partial tire identification number must be permanently moulded into or onto the tire

    • (a) in the manner and at the location specified in Schedule 1; and

    • (b) at a depth or height of not less than 0.5 mm and not more than 1 mm as measured from the immediate surrounding surface of the tire.

  • Marginal note:Mandatory symbols

    (4) The tire identification number must consist of the following groups of symbols:

    • (a) two or three symbols approved by the Minister or by the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that identify the manufacturer of the tire;

    • (b) two symbols that identify the size designation of the tire; and

    • (c) four symbols that identify, in the following manner, the tire’s date of manufacture:

      • (i) the first two symbols correspond to the week of manufacture of the tire, with “01” indicating the week that begins on the first Sunday in a year, “02” indicating the week that begins on the second Sunday in the year, and so on until and including the week that begins on the last Sunday in the year, and

      • (ii) the last two symbols are the last two digits of the year in which the week identified in accordance with subparagraph (i) begins.

  • Marginal note:Optional symbols

    (5) At the manufacturer’s option, to identify the tire type, the tire identification number may also include not more than four symbols that

    • (a) identify the owner of the brand name, if applicable; and

    • (b) form a code identifying the main characteristics of the tire.

  • Marginal note:Laser-etching

    (6) At the manufacturer’s option, instead of being permanently moulded into or onto the tire, the symbols referred to in paragraph (4)(c) may, not later than 24 hours after the tire is removed from the mould, be permanently laser-etched into it

    • (a) in the manner and at the location specified in Schedule 1; and

    • (b) at a depth or height of not less than 0.5 mm and not more than 1 mm as measured from the immediate surrounding surface of the tire.

  • Marginal note:Permitted symbols

    (7) The tire identification number may consist of any of the following symbols:

    • (a) 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9; and

    • (b) A, B, C, D, E, F, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, R, T, U, V, W, X and Y.

National Safety Mark

Marginal note:Authorization by Minister

  •  (1) For the purposes of subsection 3(2) of the Act, on application by a company, the Minister may, in the form set out in Schedule 2, authorize the company to apply a national safety mark to a tire.

  • Marginal note:Application of the national safety mark

    (2) For the purposes of subsection 3(2) of the Act, when a company applies the national safety mark to a tire, the company must

    • (a) reproduce the symbol set out in Schedule II to the Act with the minimum height specified in Figure 2 of Schedule 1; and

    • (b) permanently mould the symbol into or onto one sidewall of the tire

      • (i) in one of the places shown in Figure 2 of Schedule 1, and

      • (ii) at a depth or height of not less than 0.5 mm and not more than 1 mm as measured from the immediate surrounding surface of the sidewall.

Tire Information

Marginal note:Manufacturers and importers

  •  (1) A company must, in respect of the tires of each specific size designation and type that it manufactures or imports, provide to the Minister, at the address set out in Schedule 3, to the dealers of the tires, and to any person who requests it, the following information:

    • (a) a list of the rims designed for use with the tires, together with a diagram and the dimensions of each of the rims;

    • (b) a table showing the type of construction and the intended use of the tires, together with the various load ratings; and

    • (c) a table and diagram showing the dimensions of the tires.

  • Marginal note:Non-application

    (2) Subsection (1) does not apply in respect of tires of a specific size designation and type if the information specified in that subsection in respect of the tires appears in a publication issued by any of the following:

    • (a) the Tire and Rim Association, Inc.;

    • (b) the European Tyre and Rim Technical Organisation;

    • (c) the Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers’ Association, Inc.;

    • (d) the Deutsches Institut für Normung e. V.;

    • (e) the British Standards Institution;

    • (f) the Scandinavian Tire and Rim Organization – STRO;

    • (g) the Tyre and Rim Association of Australia;

    • (h) the Associação Latino Americana de Pneus e Aros;

    • (i) the Tire and Rim Engineering Data Committee of South Africa;

    • (j) the South African Bureau of Standards;

    • (k) the Indian Tyre Technical Advisory Committee; or

    • (l) the Instituto Argentino de Normalización y Certificación.

Records

Marginal note:Compliance

  •  (1) For the purposes of paragraph 5(1)(g) of the Act, a company must, in respect of each tire to which the national safety mark is applied or that is imported into Canada, maintain in writing or in readily readable electronic or optical form records showing that the tire conforms to all prescribed standards applicable to it. The records must be in one of the official languages of Canada. The company must retain the records for at least five years after the day on which the tire is manufactured or, if the tire is imported into Canada, after the day of importation.

  • Marginal note:If records maintained on behalf of company

    (2) If the records are maintained by a person on behalf of a company, the company must keep the name and address of the person.

  • Marginal note:Tires imported from United States

    (3) If a tire is imported from the United States, records that the manufacturer of the tire maintains and makes available to the Administrator of the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in accordance with section 30166, chapter 301, title 49 of the United States Code are considered to meet the requirements of subsection (1).

Registration Systems

Marginal note:Written notice

  •  (1) For the purpose of maintaining a registration system referred to in paragraph 5(1)(h) of the Act, the company must provide, to each person who purchases from the company a tire manufactured, imported or sold by the company, a written notice, in both official languages, that

    • (a) permits a retail purchaser to provide to the company, or to a duly authorized representative of the company, the retail purchaser’s name, mailing address and email address, the tire identification number and the date of purchase; and

    • (b) includes a safety message concerning the importance of providing the information.

  • Marginal note:On-line registration or card

    (2) If the written notice does not permit the retail purchaser to provide the information to the company by means of an on-line registration system, the company must provide to the person who purchases the tire from the company a card that permits the retail purchaser to provide the information to the company at no-cost.

  • Marginal note:Information to be kept in registration system

    (3) The registration system maintained by the company must consist of the information provided under paragraph (1)(a).

  • Marginal note:Minimum retention period

    (4) The information kept in the registration system must be retained for at least five years after the day on which the tire is sold.

Importation

General

Marginal note:Declaration

  •  (1) For the purposes of paragraph 5(1)(b) of the Act, a company that imports into Canada a tire of a class prescribed by subsection 3(1), 4(1) or 5(1) must make, at the nearest customs office that is open for business, a declaration that is signed by the company’s duly authorized representative and that sets out

    • (a) the name of the manufacturer of the tire;

    • (b) the name, telephone number, postal address and email address of the company;

    • (c) a statement from the manufacturer or its duly authorized representative that the tire conforms to the standards prescribed for a tire of that class by sections 3 to 5 at the time the tire was manufactured;

    • (d) the brand name, size designation and type of the tire and the number of tires of that size designation and type imported at the same time; and

    • (e) the date on which the tire was imported.

  • Marginal note:Importation of 10,000 or more tires

    (2) For the purposes of paragraph 5(1)(b) of the Act, a company that imports into Canada 10,000 tires or more a year may provide the declaration referred to in subsection (1) in another form and manner that is satisfactory to the Minister.

  • Marginal note:Tires imported from United States

    (3) A company that imports a tire into Canada from the United States may replace the statement referred to in paragraph (1)(c) with a statement from the manufacturer or its duly authorized representative that the tire was manufactured for sale in the United States and conforms on the day of its manufacture to the requirements established under chapter 301, title 49 of the United States Code.

  • Marginal note:Used tires for large motor vehicles

    (4) In the case of a used tire, the statement referred to in paragraph (1)(c) may be replaced with a statement that the tire bears a national safety mark, a DOT symbol used by the United States Department of Transportation or a JIS symbol used by the Japanese Standards Association, if the tire

    • (a) is designed for use on a motor vehicle with a GVWR of more than 4 536 kg;

    • (b) is designed to fit on a rim that has a rim diameter greater than 406.4 mm; and

    • (c) has a load range of not less than D or a ply rating of not less than 8, as specified for a tire of that size designation and type in a publication referred to in subsection 8(2).

Temporary Importation

Marginal note:Declaration before importation

 For the purposes of paragraph 7(1)(a) of the Act, a person importing a tire must file with the Minister, at the address set out in Schedule 3, a duly completed declaration in the form set out in Schedule 4.

Defect Information

Marginal note:Content of notice of defect

  •  (1) A notice of defect required to be given under section 10 of the Act must contain the following information:

    • (a) the name, telephone number, postal address and email address of the company giving the notice;

    • (b) the name of the manufacturer of the tire;

    • (c) the brand name, size designation, type and tire identification number for each tire in respect of which the notice is given, the period during which the tire was manufactured and any other information necessary to permit the identification of the tire;

    • (d) the estimated percentage of tires of the brand name, size designation and type referred to in paragraph (c) that potentially contain the defect;

    • (e) a concise description of the defect;

    • (f) a concise evaluation of the safety risk arising from the defect;

    • (g) a concise statement of the measures to be taken to correct the defect, including directing that the tire identification number is not to be removed unless the tire is destroyed or otherwise rendered permanently unusable;

    • (h) any conditions that relate to the correction of the defect; and

    • (i) the number, title or other identification assigned by the company to the notice of defect.

  • Marginal note:Notice requirements

    (2) A notice of defect required to be given under subsection 10(1) of the Act must be given in writing and, when given to a person other than the Minister, must be

    • (a) in both official languages; or

    • (b) in the person’s official language of choice, if it is known.

  • Marginal note:Additional information

    (3) The report referred to in subsection 10(6) of the Act must be submitted within 30 days after the day on which the company gives a notice of defect, and must contain the information required by subsection (1) and the following information:

    • (a) the number of tires affected by the notice of defect and the number of those tires for each size designation;

    • (b) a chronology of the principal events that led to the determination of the existence of the defect;

    • (c) copies of all notices, bulletins and other circulars issued by the company in respect of the defect; and

    • (d) a detailed description of the nature of the defect and its location on the tire, with any related diagrams or illustrations.

  • Marginal note:Content of quarterly reports

    (4) For the purposes of subsection 10(6) of the Act, the quarterly reports to be submitted following the report referred to in subsection (3) must contain the following information:

    • (a) the number, title or other identification assigned by the company to the notice of defect;

    • (b) the revised number of tires affected by the notice of defect, if applicable;

    • (c) the dates on which notices of defect were given to the current owners of the tires;

    • (d) the number of tires inspected by or at the direction of the company;

    • (e) the number of tires found on inspection to contain the defect; and

    • (f) a statement outlining the manner in which the company disposed of the defective tires.

Transitional Provision, Consequential Amendment, Repeal and Coming into Force

Transitional Provision

Marginal note:Conformity

 Until September 1, 2014, tires of a class prescribed by subsection 3(1), 4(1) or 5(1) may, instead of conforming to the applicable requirements of sections 3 to 5, conform to the applicable requirements of sections 5, 6 and 8 to 10 of the Motor Vehicle Tire Safety Regulations, 1995 as they read on the day before the day on which these Regulations came into force.

Consequential Amendment to the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations

 [Amendment]

Repeal

 [Repeal]

Coming Into Force

Marginal note:Publication date

Footnote * These Regulations come into force on the day on which they are published in the Canada Gazette, Part II.

SCHEDULE 1(Paragraphs 6(3)(a) and (6)(a) and 7(2)(a) and subparagraph 7(2)(b)(i))Identification Numbers and National Safety Mark

Diagram showing the groups of symbols that make up the tire identification number, with the tire identification number dimensions and symbol specifications.

Figure 1 — Tire Identification Number

Notes:
  • 1 For tires less than 155 mm in cross-section or less than 330 mm in bead diameter, the minimum height of the characters in the Tire Identification Number may be 4 mm.

  • 2 The Tire Identification Number must be in Futura Bold, Modified, Condensed characters or in Gothic characters.

  • 3 This drawing is not to scale.

Diagram showing the location of the tire identification number and the national safety mark on the sidewall of a tire, with the tire identification number dimensions and symbol specifications.

Figure 2 — Location of Tire Identification Number and National Safety Mark

SCHEDULE 2(Subsection 7(1))

Ministerial Authorization

Department of Transport

Motor Vehicle Safety Act (subsection 3(2))

Motor Vehicle Tire Safety Regulations (subsection 7(1))

Ministerial Authorization

Pursuant to the Motor Vehicle Safety Act and the Motor Vehicle Tire Safety Regulations,

[company name and address]

is authorized to use and apply a national safety mark to any tire of a class referred to in subsection 3(1), 4(1) or 5(1) of the Motor Vehicle Tire Safety Regulations, on condition that the tire conforms to the applicable Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.

This ministerial authorization expires on blank line

Issued in Ottawa on blank line, 20blank line

blank line
for the Minister of Transport

SCHEDULE 3(Subsection 8(1) and section 12)Address of Minister

Minister of Transport

c/o Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation Directorate

Department of Transport

Place de Ville, Tower C

Ottawa, Ontario

K1A 0N5

SCHEDULE 4(Section 12)

Declaration of Importation for Exhibition, Demonstration, Evaluation or Testing Purposes

  • 1 Name of the manufacturer of the tire:

    blank line

  • 2 Name, postal address and email address of the person importing the tire:

    blank line

  • 3 Brand name, size designation and type of the tire:

    blank line

  • 4 Purpose of the importation:

    blank line

  • 5 Date that the tire is presented for importation:

    blank line

I, the undersigned, declare that the information set out in this declaration is true and that the tire

  • (a) will be used in Canada solely for purposes of exhibition, demonstration, evaluation or testing, pursuant to paragraph 7(1)(a) of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act; and

  • (b) will remain in Canada for not longer than one year or the period that the Minister specifies.Footnote *

    • Return to footnote *Note: Subsection 7(5) of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act prohibits a person who signs the declaration referred to in paragraph 7(1)(a) of that Act in respect of a tire to use or dispose of the tire in a manner contrary to the terms of the declaration.

Signature

Date


Date modified: