OTTAWA—Ottawa says new rules mandating the installation of new technology will make trucks and buses safer.

Transport Minister Marc Garneau will use a visit to Brampton Monday morning to highlight two initiatives — electronic stability control and mandatory electronic logging to track hours that a commercial driver is on the road, the Star has learned

Transport Canada is requiring commercial trucks and buses to adopt the new technologies, saying both initiatives will improve safety for road users.

The electronic stability control technology is required on new truck tractors and heavy buses sold in Canada. This technology — present now on many new cars — helps reduce collisions by improving directional stability and preventing rollovers.

In a regulatory document published earlier this year, Transport Canada estimated there were an average of 2,810 truck collisions that involved a rollover or loss of control. Of those, 889 caused injury or fatalities.

“Rollover and loss-of-control crashes involving heavy vehicles are a serious safety issue,” the June document stated.

Electronic stability control will help a driver maintain control of the vehicle during emergency manoeuvres, such as swerving or braking to avoid an obstacle, or cornering on slippery surfaces, the document stated.

The department’s cost-benefit analysis of the initiative found it would prevent up to 30 collisions a year.

The move has the support of the trucking industry, which says the new technology activates to prevent a crash, often before a driver is aware of the situation.

The Canadian regulation mirrors one in the United States that requires stability control systems on truck tractors and buses with a gross weight rating of more than 11,793 kgs (26,000 lbs). The Transport Canada standard will also apply to school buses and a broader range of buses.

The rules took effect for trucks last week and kicks in for buses next June.

Garneau is also expected to use Monday’s event to highlight Ottawa’s move to mandatory electronic logging devices for the commercial drivers of federally regulated motor trucks and buses, another regulation that had been under consideration.

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Regulations spell out how long commercial drivers can be at the wheel as well as off-duty time before they can get back on the road. Federal rules stipulate that companies cannot allow drivers to drive after 13 hours and require at least eight consecutive hours of off-duty time before driving again.

The tamper resistant devices — synced with a vehicle’s engine — automatically record a driver’s driving time and will allow for better record-keeping and improved enforcement.