Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations (Mirrors) (Proposed)
Notice is hereby given, pursuant to subsection 11(3) of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act*, that the Governor in Council, pursuant to section 5 and subsection 11(1) of that Act, proposes to make the annexed Regulations Amending the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations (Mirrors).
Interested persons may make representations with respect to the proposed Regulations to the Minister of Transport within 90 days after the date of publication of this notice. All such representations must cite the Canada Gazette, Part I, and the date of publication of this notice, and be sent to Paul Lemay, Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation Directorate, Department of Transport, 344 Slater Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A ON5. The representations should also stipulate those parts of the representations that should not be disclosed pursuant to the Access to Information Act and, in particular, pursuant to sections 19 and 20 of that Act, the reason why those parts should not be disclosed and the period during which those parts should remain undisclosed. The representations should also stipulate those parts of the representations for which there is no objection to disclosure pursuant to the Access to Information Act.
September 17, 1996
MICHEL GARNEAU
Assistant Clerk of the Privy Council
*S.C., 1993,
c.16
REGULATIONS AMENDING THE MOTOR VEHICLE
SAFETY REGULATIONS (MIRRORS)
AMENDMENTS
1. Schedule III to the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations* is amended by replacing the expression "Rearview Mirrors 111" under the heading "Item CMVSS" with the expression "Mirrors 111".
2. Section 111** of Schedule IV to the Regulations and the heading before it are replaced by the following:
Mirrors
General
111. (1) Any mirror referred to in this section that is installed on a vehicle shall
(a) have a stable support;
(b) be adjustable in the horizontal and vertical directions;
(c) be a unit magnification mirror, except in the cases referred to in subsection (6), paragraph (13)(b) and subsection (16);
(d) be free of sharp points or edges that could cause an injury to an occupant of the vehicle or to a pedestrian;
(e) except in the case of a System B mirror installed on a school bus that has a forward control configuration, be installed so that the driver's view of the mirror is not obscured by the portion of the windshield that is not wiped or by any opaque portion of the vehicle structure; and
(f) in the case of an outside rearview mirror, have no greater protrusion beyond the perimeter of the vehicle than is necessary to meet the field-of-view requirements for the mirror prescribed in this section.
(2) A rearview mirror referred to in subsections (7) and (11) and paragraph (26)(a) shall be capable of adjustment from within the occupant compartment of the vehicle.
(3) The average reflectance of a mirror referred to in this section shall be determined in accordance with SAE Standard J964, Test Procedure for Determining Reflectivity of Rear View Mirrors (June 1992)
(4) A mirror referred to in this section that is a single reflectance mirror shall have a reflectance level of at least 35 per cent.
(5) A mirror referred to in this section that is a multiple reflectance mirror shall have a daytime reflectance level of at least 35 per cent and a night-time reflectance level of at least 4 percent. In the event of electrical failure, the mirror shall be adjustable, either manually or automatically, to a reflectance level of at least 35 per cent.
* C.R.C., c. 1038
** SOR/95-147
(6) An outside rearview mirror referred to in paragraph (7)(b)and subsections (26) and (27) that is installed on the side of the vehicle opposite the driver's side may be convex if
(a) its reflective surface area is equal to or greater than the reflective surface area that a unit magnification mirror must have in accordance with that subsection;
(b) its average radius of curvature is not less than 890 mm (35 inches) and not greater than 1 800 mm (71.5 inches); and
(c) the radius of curvature at any point does not deviate by more than 12.5 per cent from the average of any five radius-of-curvature measurements made on its reflective surface at least 6 mm (0.25 inch) from the edge of the image display.
Passenger Cars
(7) An inside rearview mirror shall be installed on every passenger car and shall, under the conditions set out in subsection (8),
(a) provide the driver with a field of view to the rear that
(i) is not less than 20 degrees measured horizontally rearward from the projected eye point, and
(ii) extends to the horizon and includes a point on the road surface not more than 60 m (200 feet) directly behind the passenger car; or
(b) where the inside rearview mirror does not provide the field of view to the rear described in paragraph (a), be accompanied, on the side opposite the driver's side, by an outside rearview mirror that has not less than 90 per cent of the reflective surface area of an outside rearview mirror installed pursuant to subsection (1 1).
(8) For the purposes of subsection (7), the passenger car shall be on a level road surface and loaded with the lighter of the following loads, calculated on the basis of the driver and each occupant weighing 68 kg (150 pounds):
(a) a driver and four other occupants, and
(b) an occupant in each designated seating position.
(9) A field of view described in paragraph (7)(a) may be partially obscured by seated occupants or head restraints.
(10) An inside rearview mirror referred to in subsection (7), if situated in the head impact area, shall, when the reflective surface of the mirror is subjected to a force of 400 N (90 pounds) in any direction that is not more than 45 degrees from the forward longitudinal direction, deflect, collapse or break away without leaving sharp edges.
(11) An outside rearview mirror shall be installed on the driver's side of every passenger car in such a manner as to provide the driver with a field of view to the rear on a level road surface that
(a) may be partially obscured by the rear body and fender contours;
(b) extends to the horizon; and
(c) includes a line measuring 2.5 m (8 feet) perpendicular to and outboard from the vertical longitudinal plane tangent to the driver's side of the passenger car at its widest part at a point 10.6 m (35 feet) behind the eyes of the driver seated with the driver's seat in the rearmost position.
(12) For the purposes of subsections (7), (9) and (11), the field of view to the rear of the driver shall be evaluated by using
(a) the location of the driver's eye reference points for the 95th percentile tangential cut-off specified in SAE Recommended Practice J941a, Passenger Car Driver's Eye Range (August 1967); or
(b) the driver's eye reference points at a nominal location appropriate for any 95th percentile adult male driver.
Motorcycles
(13) Every motorcycle shall have, mounted on each side so that the horizontal centre of each reflective surface of the mirror is at
least 280 mm (11 inches) outward from the longitudinal centreline of the motorcycle,
(a) a rearview mirror with not less than 80 cm2 (12.5 square inches) of reflective surface area; or
(b) a convex rearview mirror with not less than 64.5 cm2 (10 square inches) of reflective surface area and an average radius of curvature that is not less than 510 mm (20 inches) and not more than 1 800 mm (71.5 inches).
School Buses
General
(14) For the purposes of subsections (16) to (25) a driver's eye position shall be determined using a 95th percentile eyellipse in accordance with the SAE Recommended Practice J941 Motor Vehicle Drivers' Eye Locations (June 1992).
(15) For the purposes of subsections (16) to (25), cylinders A, B, C, D and E shall provide a high contrast in colour with the road surface on which the bus is parked and shall be 0.305 m (1 foot) high and 0.305 m (1 foot) in diameter.
Requirements
(16) Every school bus shall have the following two outside mirror systems:
(a) System A that consists, on each side of the school bus, of one unit magnification mirror that conforms to subsection (18) and one convex mirror that conforms to subsection (19); and
(b) System B that consists, on each side of the bus, of one convex mirror that conforms to subsections (20) to (24).
(17) A System A mirror and System B mirror shall conform to the provisions referred to in subsection (16) at any driver's eye
position, when they are adjusted in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
(18) Each System A unit magnification mirror shall have a reflective surface area of not less than 322.60 cm2 (50 square inches) that provides, at the driver's eye position, a field of view that includes a continuous view rearward, of the side of the school bus and of the road surface, which view shall begin no farther than 60.93 m (200 feet) rearward of the mirror's surface and extend to the horizon when measured on a level road, as illustrated in Figure 1.
(19) Each System A convex mirror shall
(a) provide a field of view that includes continuous and complete views at the driver's eye position, as illustrated in Figure 1,
(i) rearward,
(ii) of the ground, which view overlaps the field of view provided by the unit magnification mirror described in subsection (18),
(iii) of the side of the bus,
(iv) in the mirror installed on the side opposite the driver's side, of cylinders B and D, placed in accordance with subsection (25), and
(v) in the mirror installed on the driver's side, of cylinders C and E, placed in accordance with subsection (25);
(b) have an average radius of curvature of not less than 890 mm (35 inches); and
(c) have a radius of curvature that at any point does not deviate by more than 12.5 per cent from the average of any five radius-of-curvature measurements taken at least 6 mm (0.25 inch) from the edge of the reflective surface.
(20) Each System B mirror shall be installed so that
(a) the distance from the driver's eye position to the centre of the mirror is at least 95.25 cm (37.5 inches); and
(b) the slope of the mirror surface has no discontinuities.
(21) Each System B mirror shall provide a field of view that
includes continuous and complete views at the driver's eye position, as illustrated in Figure 1, of
(a) the ground from the front bumper forward to a point where direct observation is possible;
(b) the ground and the side of the bus rearward of the front bumper, extending to and overlapping the field of view provided by the System A convex mirror; and
(c) cylinders A, B and C, placed in accordance with subsection (25).
(22) The images of cylinders A, B and C, placed in accordance with subsection (25), that are reflected in each System B mirror shall meet the following requirements:
(a) the shortest angular width of the image shall be no less than 3 minutes of arc, measured using the following equation:
X/D is greater or equal to 0.000873
where
X is the width of the image of the cylinder on the reflective surface,
D is the distance between the centre point of the driver's eye position and the centre of the reflective surface, and
0.000873 is the tangent of 3 minutes of arc; and
(b) the shortest angular length of the image shall be no less than 9 minutes of arc, measured using the following equation:
Y/D is greater or equal to 0.002618
where
Y is the length of the image of the cylinder on the reflective surface,
D is the distance between the centre point of the driver's eye position and the centre of the reflective surface, and
0.002618 is the tangent of 9 minutes of arc.
(23) For the purposes of subsection (22), a comparison chart, such as the one shown in Figure 2, may be used to measure the angular width and angular length of an image of a cylinder, where
(a) the comparison chart is placed above the mirror;
(b) the plane of the comparison chart is perpendicular to the line of sight;
(c) the images of the cylinder and the comparison chart are visible through the camera's view finder;
(d) a photograph is taken at the driver's eye position; and
(e) the image of the cylinder is larger than the references shown on the comparison chart.
(24) Images reflected in each System B mirror shall be located no less than 3 minutes of arc from the edge of the reflective
surface, when measured at the driver's eye position.
Testing
(25) A System A mirror and a System B mirror shall be tested as follows:
(a) cylinders A, B, C, D and E shall be placed at the following locations, as illustrated in Figure 1, with measurements taken from the centre of the cylinder, as viewed from above:
(i) cylinder A shall be placed in front of the bus so that its centre passes through the bus's longitudinal centreline and its top is directly visible at the driver's eye position,
(ii) cylinder B shall be placed on the side opposite the driver's side and at a point where the cylinder is entirely visible through the convex mirrors of both System A and
System B on that side so that its centre falls in a vertical plane that is 2 m (6.6 feet) to the right of, and perpendicular to, a vertical plane tangent to the bus's most outboard surface,
(iii) cylinder C shall be placed on the driver's side and at
a point where the cylinder is entirely visible through the convex mirrors of both
System A and System B on that side so that its centre falls in a vertical plane
that is 2 m (6.6 feet) to the left of, and perpendicular to, a vertical plane
tangent to the bus's most outboard surface,
(iv) cylinder D shall be placed on the side opposite the driver's side so that its centre falls in the vertical plane that passes through the centreline of the bus's rear-wheel axle and that is 2 m (6.6 feet) to the right of the bus's most outboard surface, and
(v) cylinder E shall be placed on the driver's side so that its centre falls in the vertical plane that passes through the centreline of the bus's rear-wheel axle and that is 2 m (6.6 feet) to the left of the bus's most outboard surface;
(b) every mirror shall be adjusted in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations to that driver's eye position and are not to be moved or readjusted during the test;
(c) a still or video camera shall be positioned so that its image plane is located at the centre point of the driver's eye position in such a manner that the reflective surface is visible to the camera and through the windows of the bus; and
(d) all of the camera observations shall be done with the service door of the bus closed and the stop signal arm fully
retracted.
Other Vehicles
(26) Every multipurpose passenger vehicle, truck and bus, with a GVWR of 4 536 kg (10,000 pounds) or less, other than a school bus, shall have
(a) the following rearview mirrors, namely,
(i) an inside rearview mirror that meets the requirements of subsections (7), (9) and (10),
(ii) on the driver's side, an outside rearview mirror that meets the field of view requirements of subsection (11), and
(iii) on the side opposite the driver's side, an outside rearview mirror that has not less than 90 per cent of the reflective surface area of the outside rearview mirror installed on the driver's side; or
(b) on each side of the vehicle, an outside rearview mirror with not less than 1252 cm (19.5 square inches) of reflective surface area located so as to provide the driver with a view to the rear along both sides of the vehicle.
(27) Every multipurpose passenger vehicle, truck and bus with a GVWR of more than 4 536 kg (10,000 pounds), other than a school bus, shall have on each side of the vehicle an outside rearview mirror with not less than 325 cm2 (50 square inches) of reflective surface area located so as to provide the driver with a view to the rear along both sides of the vehicle.
Shipment
(28) A company may ship a vehicle that bears the applicable label referred to in section 6 of these Regulations and on which no outside mirrors have been installed, if the applicable outside mirrors and all hardware that is necessary for the mounting of the outside rearview mirrors accompany the vehicle and all of the holes that are necessary for mounting those mirrors have been made in the sheet metal of the vehicle.
COMING INTO FORCE
3. These Regulations come into force the date on which they are registered
Published in the Canada Gazette Part I September 28, 1996