Since the beginning of December 2023, BC Highway Patrol has encountered a large number of drivers without insurance.
From December 1, 2023 to January 11, 2024, BC Highway Patrol – Kootenay has come across 177 drivers operating uninsured vehicles.
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Each driver received a violation ticket for no insurance for $598 dollars.
Their excuses? BC Highway Patrol has compiled the top 10 excuses:
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- ICBC never sent me a reminder
- I am on the way to purchase insurance right now
- I forgot
- I don’t have a decal anymore
- My insurance is paid for automatically, so I thought I didn’t need to renew
- The registered owner is my mom, dad or friend and it’s their job
- This is a company vehicle
- My vehicle is actually insured, but I don’t have the documents
- I cancelled the credit card that was making the preauthorized payments
- I know I don’t have insurance, but I really needed to go somewhere
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“Drivers should think about the risks of operating without insurance which include paying a significant fine, being financially responsible for a collision, and expensive towing costs,” says the Officer in Charge of Kootenay Highway Patrol, Inspector Chad Badry.
“There is a risk of a driver’s license suspension or increased sanctions in court for repeat offences.”
Car insurance is not automatically renewed, so drivers are reminded to check when their insurance expires.