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By Sam Bennison

Transportation

ICBC’s investment into B.C.’s Automated Licence Plate Recognition program allows police to catch more uninsured drivers

Jun 13, 2024 | 5:00 AM

PRINCE GEORGE—Newly released data shows that police have issued 16,837 tickets for driving without auto insurance in 2023. A big reason is due to ICBC’s $1 million investment into B.C.’s Automated Licence Plate Recognition program.

The program allows officers to scan up to 3,000 plates an hour, efficiently identifying drivers for not having valid insurance. This investment into the program has allowed officers to issue a significantly larger amount of tickets compared to previous years.

Tickets issued by police for driving without insurance in B.C.

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Despite the increase in fines, ICBC says uninsured rates still remain low. ICBC spokesperson, Greg Harper says that roughly 0.3 per cent of crashes in BC involve an uninsured vehicle.

Another reason for the increased number of tickets is that more vehicles are on B.C. roads. Harper says around 53,000 vehicles are added each year.

“I think this is a great reminder for all British Columbians to take a look at their insurance policy,” notes Harper. “Take note of the expiry date. If you’re someone that likes to wait until the last day to do something that’s probably not a great idea when we’re talking about auto insurance.”

May 2022 saw the launch of ICBCs online insurance program aimed at modernizing and enhancing the program allowing drivers to renew online.

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Email: sam.bennison@pattisonmedia.com