Council of Ministers responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety

The National Safety Code (NSC) for Motor Carriersis a  comprehensive code of minimum performance standards designed to ensure the safe  operation of commercial vehicles across Canada.      

The 16 standards of the NSC were developed by the provinces  and territories in conjunction with industry stakeholders as part of the  regulatory reform of the late 1980s to ensure highway safety did not  deteriorate in a deregulated environment. They provide a model for  provincial/territorial regulators to develop common programs, policies and  regulations that ensure cross-Canada harmonization and reciprocity in the  management of truck and bus operations.

All provinces and territories use the NSC as the cornerstone  of their regulatory frameworks, with standards either adopted by reference or  mirrored in provincial/territorial legislation and regulations.

Because much of Canada’s truck and bus traffic cross  provincial and territorial boundaries as well as the Canada/U.S. border, the  need for harmonized and consistent application of these rules is an important  element to facilitating seamless and efficient transportation, as well as  fostering competitiveness both interprovincially and internationally.

To this day, NSC standards remain important instruments of  public policy in promoting public safety. Officials from the provincial,  territorial and federal governments continue to monitor and review the NSC  standards to enhance their effectiveness and respond to evolving regulatory  context, ensuring the regulatory regime remains effective, responsive to  industry needs and enforceable.

More information on the National Safety Code can  be found @ http://ccmta.ca/en/publications/national-safety-code.