Prepare to pay more for your ICBC basic insurance if you’re a “risky driver.”
Attorney General David Eby has released the findings of a public consultation in which nearly 35,000 British Columbians weighed in on how the province can make insurance rates more fair.
A vast majority of British Columbians, 82.3 per cent, believe that risky drivers should pay more.
The provincial government is now going to consider the feedback and set new rates in June. The target is to have the new rates implemented by April 1, 2019.
“We were asking British Columbians how we should ensure that people that are higher risk drivers pay more for their insurance and people who are lower risk drivers get a better discount. It is something that is done better in other provinces,” Eby said.
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Paul Doroshenko: “This is just really a financial hit. The only change here is financial, it’s the government bringing in more money from these certain types of tickets or an accumulation of demerits on your licence.”
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On top of that, the government has asked ICBC to bring forward 20 per cent increases to the Driver Risk Premium.
The risk premium changes could be implemented as early as fall 2018.
“While moving quickly to implement changes for dangerous driving, we are also using this feedback to inform additional changes in the coming months to help make rates more fair for drivers,” said Eby.
“This feedback will help ensure our improved auto insurance rating system is consistent with the values of British Columbians.”
Criminal lawyer Paul Doroshenko says this will likely increase the amount of drivers who attempt to fight tickets in court. But what really bothers Doroshenko about the changes is that the risk premiums are not included on the ticket, so a driver may not know about the hundreds of dollars in extra fines that could come with the infraction.
“I don’t like the fact that it is hidden and you don’t find out about it until after the period of time to dispute the ticket,” said Doroshenko. “The big squeeze is on. Now you are looking at a significant increase in the driver risk premium and another way for the government to collect revenues.”
Click here to see the full Global News interview. (2 minute mark)
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