I HATE ICBC

Source: Vancouver Sun. Dec. 21, 2007

A 23-year-old Surrey man is taking offence at being labelled a bad driver by the Insurance Corp. of B.C.

Marcus De Rossi received a letter from ICBC this week, warning him of higher premiums for drivers with “bad driving habits.”

“I was very surprised and offended because of the aggressive wording [of the letter],” said De Rossi. “It makes me and other people worse drivers than we really are.” Marcus De Rossi admits to some traffic infractions but says ICBC’s ‘aggressive’ warning letter about the incoming Driver Risk Premium surprised and offended him. Marcus De Rossi admits to some traffic infractions but says ICBC’s ‘aggressive’ warning letter about the incoming Driver Risk Premium surprised and offended him.

About 140,000 drivers across B.C. received similar notices informing them of the new Driver Risk Premium program, which kicks in on Jan. 1.

Motorists convicted of driving-related offences such as speeding, running red lights or impaired driving will have to pay premiums ranging from $320 to $905 a year for three years.

De Rossi admits to receiving a ticket for not wearing his seat-belt five years ago, a speeding ticket two years ago, and two tickets for not displaying the “N” sign for novice drivers, but says he hasn’t been involved in any crashes and considers himself a “safe driver, 100 per cent.”

ICBC spokesman Doug Henderson said the criteria for drivers who received warning letters are at least three convictions, regardless of the type of violation, or one serious conviction, such as excessive speeding or drunk-driving.

Someone might just have minor offences, he said, but if they receive many of them over a number of years, they are considered high-risk.

Henderson said the letters are just warnings and do not affect the recipients’ premiums.

“Everyone starts with a clean slate going forward on Jan. 1, 2008,” he said. “The letters are meant to get people’s attention and make them aware so they can change their driving habits.”

Under the new program, ICBC will begin tracking driving-related offences next year, but premiums won’t be charged until January 2009.

Source: CBC. Dec. 20, 2007.

In a move which has sparked complaints, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia has sent warning letters to some of the province’s worst drivers telling them to improve their driving habits or pay more for insurance.

“We wanted to get people’s attention,” said ICBC spokesman Doug McClelland. “The people who received this letter are the worst five per cent of drivers in B.C.”

But being told in a letter that they are putting others at risk, and that they may quickly wind up paying higher premiums, has not gone over well with some of the roughly 130,000 recipients. Full Story

What do you think of this strategy? If you have received one of these letters, please tell us how you reacted.