Thursday August 10, 2023 | LANGFORD, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
A dramatic rise in uninsured vehicles on the roadway has been revealed by West Shore RCMP.
Yesterday a news release noted that in July 2023 the West Shore RCMP Traffic Unit issued 65 tickets for driving without vehicle insurance. That’s over three times the number of tickets (21) in July 2022.
Police say they believe the steady increase in vehicles without insurance is partly due to licence plate validation decals no longer being required as of May 2022.
Automated licence plate recognition:
Vehicles of the West Shore RCMP detachment are equipped with Automated Licence Plate Recognition (ALPR) technology.
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 Cpl. Mike Jacobson, West Shore RCMP Traffic Enforcement unit.
Fine is $598:
“If you are caught with no vehicle insurance, you can be fined $598 and your vehicle may be towed,” says RCMP.
Collision without insurance:
“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.”
RCMP strongly encourages motorists to ensure they have the proper insurance on their vehicles. You can further protect yourself by making sure you have uninsured motorist coverage.
Could be a BC-wide problem:
As the change in licence plate sticker requirement (i.e. no sticker required now) is a BC provincial thing through ICBC, this problem could be province-wide. Island Social Trends will update this article accordingly.
