Ontario auto collision standards set to go

A bill introduced in Ontario’s legislature to create a standard for the collision repair industry is receiving support from the association representing the province’s car dealers. In a press release, the Ontario Automobile Dealers Association (OADA), says the Collision Repair Standards Act, 2002, introduced by MPP Frank Klees will help protect consumers and the environment. The standards are also supported by the Toronto association (TADA).

Under the bill, repair shops would have to conform to rules about training, labor, equipment, environmental standards and even taxes. Changes to Ontario’s Insurance Act would also be part of the process, requiring insurers to only utilize repair shops that meet the new standards, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) notes. The standards mirror similar rules in place in provinces with public insurance – Manitoba, Saskatchewan and B.C.

“Road safety is the principal motivation for our support,” explains Bill Davis, executive director of the OADA and TADA. “Consumers must be confident that the vehicles on the road are sound structurally and mechanically.