Insurance

Major changes to the way auto insurance in BC functions took place without fanfare on May 1. According to a summary outlining the key changes on the Borden Ladner Gervais LLP web site, you will no longer be able to take legal action for most motor vehicle collision claims.

Chances are good that when you think about car insurance your first thought is about how much it is going to cost you rather than how well it is going to protect you if something goes wrong. You might even be tempted to shade the truth about who will be driving your vehicle or how they will be using it to reduce those costs. Be very careful how you make decisions about insurance as making poor choices can put you at huge financial risk post crash.

Christina Block was driving eastbound on Yarrow Central Road near No. 3 Road in Yarrow. She and her family were returning from the movies. Kevin Schmitt was driving westbound and veered into the Block's lane, causing a sideswipe collision. Ms. Block pulled over and stopped but Mr. Schmitt did not.

So I was rear ended today. There was no damage to my truck, but the car that hit me didn't come out of it too well. I phoned into ICBC to make an accident report. Through the process, I had told them that the guy who hit me was a pizza delivery guy. Turns out he had pleasure use only on his insurance. My question is, how will this affect his claim seeing he was working with his car at the time?

"I'll pay the fine, I just don't want the points." This is not an uncommon desire expressed by drivers prior to a traffic court hearing when asked how they want to proceed. If the violation ticket was issued with the accused identified as the driver, penalty points follow the conviction as night follows day. There is no escaping them.

Increased penalties will come into effect today for drivers who put people at risk through excessive speeding, impaired driving, distracted driving and other violations.

In this article Paul reviews what can happen if you lie to ICBC. He examines three scenarios: Failing to be truthful when you apply for insurance, failing to be truthful when you make a claim and driving while impaired. All could result in loss of coverage and significant financial liability that could ruin you. Think twice before you are anything less than completely honest!

Q: My friend was riding his dirt bike along with his kids last weekend on a Forest Service Road which is an extension of a rural road. An RCMP constable stopped him and and informed him that he was riding without insurance and issued him a violation ticket under Section 24(3)(b) MVA which carries a $598.00 fine.

I was curious about the outcome of ICBC's rate fairness survey so I checked the box to be notified when the report became available. The notification arrived in my inbox this week and I've made a quick scan of the document. The diverse opinions on who should be held accountable for what and how rates should be set is interesting.

Q: I have a question about legality around modifying the exterior of my car. I have seen many modified (often lowered suspension as well) cars with front lip spoilers/splitters and I was wondering around the legality of them for a street car.