High-risk drivers in B.C. will soon see an increase in penalties.
Penalties for the Driver Risk Premium Program and the Driver Penalty Point premium program are going up by 20 per cent starting on Nov. 1, 2018. Penalties will increase by another 20 per cent on Nov. 1, 2019, to keep in line with previous increases in basic premiums.
The Driver Risk Premium (DRP) is charged to drivers who are convicted of dangerous driving offences such as excessive speeding, two or more distracted driving violations, impaired driving convictions, roadside suspensions or prohibitions. Drivers could pay for the same offence multiple times, as the DRP depends on a person’s driving record in the last three years.
The Driver Penalty Point (DPP) premium is a penalty for collecting four or more points from traffic violations. The premium amount depends on the total number of points accumulated in a 12-month period.
The DPP premium ranges from $175 for four points to $24,000 for 50 more points. With the 20 per cent increase on Nov. 1, the penalties will go up to $210 for four points and $28,800 for 50 or more points.
DRP amounts vary depending on the driving offence.
The DRP and DPP are insurance penalties drivers must pay to ICBC in addition to the fine they must pay for the original violation. They are separate from Autoplan insurance premiums and are billed even for people who do not own or insure a vehicle.
A driver will only be charged under one of the programs each year, whichever penalty is the highest.
Drivers who do not pay their DRP or DPP penalty cannot get a new driver’s licence or purchase vehicle insurance through ICBC, and will be charged 19.6% in interest after 60 days without payment. However, drivers can reduce or eliminate the penalties by surrendering their driver’s licence for some or all of their billing period.
“Reckless drivers put others at risk, and they’re contributing to the rise in crashes we’re seeing on our roads,” said B.C. Attorney General David Eby”To help make our roads safer and hold people accountable, we’re bringing in higher penalties for drivers who engage in dangerous behaviour behind the wheel.”
Revenue generated from these penalties will help offset overall basic insurance premiums, the government said. Currently, there are about 66,000 drivers who pay one of these penalties.
The penalties will match any changes to the basic insurance premium. Based on the increases, ICBC expects to collect $26 million in penalties in 2019, $32 million in 2020, and $36 million in 2021 (fiscal year from April to March).
CHEK News
