The Importance of the Safety Standard Certificate

A Safety Standard Certificate, or SSC, is a certificate that is designed to ensure the safety of consumers when buying a vehicle.  In general, the certificate is designed to ensure that a vehicle is safe to be on the road and will keep all of its occupants safe as well.

If a vehicle has a SSC, then that means that it has passed inspection at an approved Motor Vehicle Inspection Station.  Once a vehicle has passed its safety inspection at a Motor Vehicle Inspection Station, it is then considered to be safe for the road in the province of Ontario.

Currently, there are over 13,000 Motor Vehicle Inspection Stations, or MVIS, that have been approved by the Ministry of Transportation.  Motorists are free to choose their own MVIS. However, it is important to note that there is a cost that goes along with inspection.  Additionally, that price tends to vary, thus a little research might be effective in saving a little money.

It is important to keep in mind that an SSC is not any sort of guarantee for your Ontario vehicle, nor is it a warranty.  Instead a SSC is a certificate that ensures that the vehicle in question is safe enough to drive and thus meets minimal safety requirements

A SSC is generally required when a used vehicle is sold to a new owner.  A second occasion on which an SSC is needed is when a vehicle is coming from another country or province and is entering Ontario.  Under this circumstance, an SSC will be a requirement.  These are the two conditions under which most people will usually find that they are in need of an SSC. However, there are some other circumstances where an SSC will be needed, such as a vehicle that has been rebuilt in some fashion, for example.

Clearly, there are many issues that can pop up with owning a car, truck or other vehicle.  The Safety Standard Certificate is one way to ensure that motorist and their passengers stay safe.  Considering that we are putting our lives, health and safety into the vehicles that we drive, such a program should be seen as a way to increase the safety of all on the road.