ICBC has announced some major changes to our car insurance system in British Columbia that take effect on September 1, 2019. At Acera Insurance, we’re here to help you understand the changes, and how they affect you.
In our last blog posts, we covered ICBC’s new approach towards calculating premiums and changes to the renewal process. Beginning in September, ICBC is also introducing new discounts. Find out if you qualify for these savings on your insurance premium:
Autonomous Emergency Braking Discount
Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) is a safety feature that uses technology to anticipate when a vehicle is about to have a front-end collision and automatically engages the brakes without the driver’s action. AEB has been statistically shown to help prevent crashes. If the vehicle you are insuring is equipped with an original, manufacturer-installed AEB system, you will qualify for a 10% discount. The discount will apply to Basic and some Optional coverages. If you are unsure whether your vehicle has AEB, check with your dealership or look in your ownership manual.
Low Kilometre Discount
If your vehicle is driven less than 5,000 kilometres in a year, you will qualify for a 10% discount on your Basic, Extended Third Party Liability and Collision insurance premiums. To qualify for this discount, you will need to provide your vehicle’s odometer reading at your next annual renewal or new policy purchase. You will then be required to provide the odometer reading again a year later. If the readings show that the car was driven less than 5,000 kilometres in the previous 12 months, the discount will be applied at that time.
To provide the odometer reading, you will need to show your Acera Insurance advisor one of the following:
- a photo of the vehicle odometer taken within the last seven days
- a receipt or work order with an odometer reading dated within the last seven days from either a garage, a mechanic, an auto shop or auto dealership
- a reading through a service or app which reports vehicle information and diagnostics, generated within the last seven days.
Only annual policies are eligible for the discount. Certain rate classes, such as motorcycles and collector vehicles, will not be eligible as their rate classes already reflect low kilometres travelled.
SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 UPDATE:
ICBC will be introducing a new distance-based discount. Those who drive less than 10,000 km may qualify for savings between 5 and 15 percent on their optional insurance. Learn more here.
Driving Experience Discount
ICBC will begin considering up to 40 years of driving experience for Basic insurance savings, up from the current nine years of crash-free driving. Generally speaking, the more driving experience you have, the more you will save (assuming no at-fault crashes).
For more information about these new discounts and existing ones ICBC will keep, please visit the ICBC Discounts and Savings page.
Questions? Find an Acera Insurance office and get in touch with one of our experienced, knowledgeable Client Advisors.