The Automobile Protection Association found the Bill proposing amendments to
the Motor Vehicle Safety Act encouraging.

MONTREAL, April 8 /CNW Telbec/ - APA president George Iny said the Association was encouraged by the proposal to amend Canada's vehicle safety legislation to address the weaknesses found during the investigation of sudden acceleration complaints on Toyota vehicles. Proposed by Jim Maloway, federal Member of Parliament for Elmwood-Transcona in Winnipeg, the amendments to the Motor Vehicle Safety Act would require automakers and dealers to report safety-related complaints received by their customers to Transport Canada. Furthermore, information recorded by a vehicle's onboard computer in the seconds before an impact would also have to be made available to government accident investigators.

However encouraging, certain provisions of the Bill need to be worked out. "Requiring that automakers to post defects reported by customers within 48 hours is too onerous," said Iny, "and requiring all owners to be notified when an investigation is opened, but a defect has not been confirmed, would create unnecessary confusion." Iny said he was pleased by the interest legislators have shown in making changes proposed in the Bill and during Transport Committee hearings. But he added that any solution had to include more engineers and resources for the defect investigations branch at Transport Canada.

For further information: George Iny, [phone] (media line, not for publication)