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Canada’s bumper standard, first enacted at the same time as that of the United States, was generally similar to the U.S. regulation. However, the Canadian standard was not weakened from 8 km/h (5 mph) to 4 km/h (2.5 mph) in accord with the weakened U.S. standard of 1983. Some automakers chose to provide stronger Canadian-specification bumpers throughout the North American market, while others chose to provide weaker bumpers in the U.S. market, which hampered private importation of vehicles from the U.S. to Canada.
In early 2009, Canada’s regulation shifted to harmonize with U.S. Federal standards and international ECE regulations. Consumer groups are upset with the change, but Canadian regulators assert that the 4 km/h (2.5 mph) test speed is used worldwide and is more compatible with improved pedestrian protection in vehicle-pedestrian crashes.
