About Ontario's drive clean Program

Ontario's Drive Clean is a vehicle emissions testing program to reduce smog and its harmful effects on the air we breathe. Under the program, designated vehicles in areas with serious smog problems must pass a clean air test. Those vehicles failing the test must be repaired and retested. Cars, trucks and buses are the single, largest, local source of smog-causing pollutants in Ontario. They release nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and microscopic dust particles that react together in the presence of sunlight to create smog. There are mandatory testing and repair programs like Drive Clean across North America. They help ensure that vehicles are maintained according to each vehicle's emissions standards. Even though most vehicles being built today have cleaner technologies and tighter emissions standards, they can become heavy polluters if they are not properly maintained.