Skip to content

Editorial: ICBC rate increases are unjustified

Drivers are distracted in many ways other than cell phones

Distracted driving is being blamed for the proposed raise in ICBC premiums. Really? How many tickets for distracted driving have the police issued as opposed to other traffic violations? Let’s see the numbers. ICBC can blame the rise in rates on anything and we have no way to dispute their claims.

It isn’t a matter of ticketing those who are “distracted” but of educating drivers. We see people on their cellphones all the time and the police probably only catch a very small percentage of them. People are also distracted by a screaming baby, checking their makeup, eating, changing a cd or even funbling around in a briefcase or purse. It’s not just about cellphones, but that is what they are using as rationale for raising the already exorbitent premiums.

Now that people are not drinking and driving they need another way to generate revenue and they have to get that revenue stream from all drivers. ICBC is not in a deficit position, in fact they are raking in the profits - and those profits come from everyone who gets behind a wheel.

This is another case of punishing everyone for the misdeeds of a few. Big Brother is alive and well and he wants your money. If there are indeed so many accident claims due to distracted driving, then punish those who are causing the accidents, not the ones who are not.

We don’t ever share in the profits of ICBC so why should we pay more so they get more? The provncial government made sure ICBC was a monopoly and we have no choice in where we get our insurance. Put the blame and the cost onto those who commit the offenses, not the ones who don’t.