More uninsured vehicles are on West Shore roads, and a change to licence plate decal requirements could be partly to blame, according to RCMP.
The West Shore RCMP say that in July, traffic unit officers issued 65 tickets for driving without vehicle insurance — a dramatic rise that’s more than triple the 21 tickets issued the same month last year.
“Throughout the past year, we have seen a steady increase in the number of vehicles on the roadway that do not have vehicle insurance,” Mounties said in a news release Wednesday.
“Police believe this is partly due to licence plate validation decals no longer being required as of May 2022.”
The Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) announced last year that B.C. drivers, from May 1, 2022, onwards, would no longer have to display a licence plate validation decal on their vehicle licence plate.
The move also coincided with the full launch of online auto insurance renewals, said ICBC. It noted that drivers could leave their current decal on their licence plate or remove it.
At the time, B.C.’s Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said changing technology had reduced the need for decals as police shifted to license plate readers that provide the same information.
READ MORE: B.C. announces ICBC insurance renewal shifting online, discontinuing license plate decals
West Shore police vehicles are equipped with Automated Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR), says Cpl. Mike Jacobson with the RCMP’s traffic enforcement unit.
“ALPR has the ability to scan licence plates while officers are patrolling, and it alerts them to a vehicle that is violating driving laws within its vicinity, no insurance is among these alerts,” said Jacobson in the release.
RCMP say drivers caught with no vehicle insurance can be fined $598, and their vehicle could be towed.
“Even worse than receiving a ticket for no insurance is being involved in a collision when you do not have insurance. This could result in you being sued and held liable for damages,” added RCMP.
“We strongly encourage motorists to ensure they have the proper insurance on their vehicles. You can further protect yourself by making sure you have uninsured motorist coverage.”
Ethan Morneau
