OTTAWA, Aug. 22, 2019 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to using digital technologies to modernize how it delivers its services to Canadians. Every day, Canadians use technology to get important information that they need, when they need it.

Today, the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, announced "Vehicle Recalls Canada," a new Alexa service to provide Canadians with vehicle recall information. Once enabled, the service activates with the phrase, "Alexa, open vehicle recalls." Alexa will then ask a few questions about the vehicle make and model you wish to check, and will provide all recalls for it. 

This service – slated to run as a six-month pilot test – is one of the first Government of Canada uses of voice assistance to provide services to Canadians. It fulfills a Government commitment to provide digital services that are more agile, open, and user-focused. The service also provides a new way of accessing Transport Canada's vehicle recall service to users who may have accessibility challenges.

Transport Canada is committed to improving road safety and ensuring Canadians know about recalls affecting their vehicles. On average, vehicle manufacturers issue approximately 650 safety recalls each year, affecting over five million vehicles. Under Canada's recall system, vehicle owners are responsible for bringing their vehicle to the dealer to have the recall work completed. Transport Canada encourages owners to have safety defects corrected as soon as possible.

"Vehicle Recalls Canada" can be enabled through the Amazon Alexa application.

Quote

"The Government of Canada is committed to improving service delivery for Canadians and providing information in new, innovative ways. Vehicle recall information is important and Canadians need to have vehicle safety defects corrected in a timely manner. The easier we make it for Canadians to obtain this information, the better. I would like to thank Amazon and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat for collaborating with Transport Canada to make this service a possibility."  

The Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport

Quick Facts

• Approximately 25 percent of vehicle owners never get recalls repaired. Unrepaired safety defects can put drivers, their passengers, and other road users at risk.
• Canadians who are not subscribed to Alexa can obtain vehicle recall information by visiting Transport Canada's Motor Vehicle Safety Recall Database. Manufacturers will also mail recall notices to vehicle owners.
• Not every vehicle in a certain make, model and year are subject to a given safety related recall. Problems may be corrected in production before the vehicle was manufactured, the vehicle may have different engine options or it may have been manufactured in a different plant. If Alexa finds a recall for your make and model of vehicle, Transport Canada recommends that owners contact the manufacturer or their local dealer to verify if their specific vehicle is involved in a specific recall.
  
  
• This new Alexa service builds on previous actions the Government of Canada has taken to strengthen vehicle recalls in Canada, including:
• New 2019 regulations for manufacturers to provide more safety information to Canadians in recall notices.
• The Strengthening Motor Vehicle Safety for Canadians Act, which in 2018 gave the Minister of Transport the ability to order a company to recall a vehicle, to pay for the cost of repairs, and to fix a new vehicle before it's sold.

Associated Links

• Vehicle Recalls Canada
• TBS digital government
• Safety advisory on the importance of having recalled vehicles repaired
• Transport Canada's Motor Vehicle Safety Recall Database
• Motor Vehicle Safety Act

SOURCE Transport Canada

View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/August2019/22/c9444.html