In British Columbia, driving without winter tires will not void an insurance policy in the event of a claim, but in a scenario in which a driver has crashed and winter tires may have helped to avoid it, it may be a deciding factor in determining fault, ICBC (Insurance Corporation of British Columbia) said.
“Drivers are always responsible for ensuring their vehicles are properly equipped for road conditions, just like making sure your wipers and headlamps are working well on dark and rainy nights,” an ICBC release says.
“Driving without winter tires will not void your insurance in the event of a claim or mean that you are automatically at-fault for a crash. However, if you get in a crash where winter tires could have helped it may be a deciding factor in determining whether or how much you are at-fault.”
The B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure can also designate that winter tires are required on certain roads and highways – usually in northern B.C. and the Southern Interior.
“If you are driving on these roads without winter tires, police can ticket you and make you turn back,” ICBC says.
PS. For past articles relating to insurance, safety, and loss prevention, please scroll through the “read our blog – Guthrie News & Views” section in our website noted below.
Sincerely,
The Insurance Advisors @ Guthrie Insurance Brokers Ltd
Toronto- (416) 487-5200 – 1-888-310-SAVE (7283)
www.GuthrieInsurance.com - info@GuthrieInsurance.com
E & O E
Ontarians fail to pay more than $350 million worth of fines related to invalid/false insurance cards
January 17, 2012
Ontarians have not paid more than $1 billion in Provincial Offences Act fines, and one-third of these fines relate to driving with invalid or false insurance cards, according to a white paper released on Nov. 9 by the Ontario Association of Police Services Boards (OAPSB).
“As of July 2010, the last year for which statistics are available, there were nearly 2.5 million unpaid POA fines totalling close to $1 billion, owed largely to Ontario municipalities,” a backgrounder to the white paper says. “Of the $1 billion in outstanding POA fines, approximately one-third relate to Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act convictions, another third to Highway Traffic Act convictions, and another third to other convictions (including violations of the Liquor Licence Act, Occupational Health and Safety Act, and Trespass to Property Act).”
The backgrounder shows the unpaid fines related to breaches of the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act total $354.3 million.
The association white paper contains a number of recommendations, including discounts for early payment and more severe penalties for those who do not pay (including license suspensions or car impoundment), making it more convenient for people to pay fines and improving the capability of municipalities to collect the fines.
PS. For past articles relating to insurance, safety, and loss prevention, please scroll through the “read our blog – Guthrie News & Views” section in our website noted below.
Sincerely,
The Insurance Advisors @ Guthrie Insurance Brokers Ltd
Toronto- (416) 487-5200 – 1-888-310-SAVE (7283)
www.GuthrieInsurance.com - info@GuthrieInsurance.com
E & O E
Hybrid vehicles hold safety edge over conventional counterparts in collision protection: IIHS
January 17, 2012
The odds of being injured in a crash are 25% lower for people in hybrids than people travelling in non-hybrid vehicle models, the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) found.
IIHS cited a study conducted by its affiliate, the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI). In the study, HLDI estimated the odds that a crash would result in injuries if people were riding in a hybrid versus the conventional model of the same vehicle. The analysis included more than 25 hybrid-conventional vehicle pairs, all 2003-11 models with at least one collision claim and at least one related injury claim filed under personal injury protection or medical payment coverage in 2002-10.
Although hybrids share the same footprint and structure as their conventional counterparts, they outweigh them because of the added heft of battery packs and other components used in dual-power systems. At about 3,600 pounds, a hybrid Honda Accord midsize sedan, for example, can weigh as much as 480 pounds more than a conventional Accord. A hybrid Toyota Highlander, a midsize SUV, weighs about 4,500 pounds, compared with about 4,170 pounds for the conventional Highlander.
“Weight is a big factor,” says Matt Moore, HLDI vice president and author of the report. “Hybrids on average are 10% heavier than their standard counterparts. This extra mass gives them an advantage in crashes that their conventional twins don’t have.”
PS. For past articles relating to insurance, safety, and loss prevention, please scroll through the “read our blog – Guthrie News & Views” section in our website noted below.
Sincerely,
The Insurance Advisors @ Guthrie Insurance Brokers Ltd
Toronto- (416) 487-5200 – 1-888-310-SAVE (7283)
www.GuthrieInsurance.com - info@GuthrieInsurance.com
E & O E
