Quesnel city councilor Ron Paull says that while he applauds ICBC's announcement today that some windshield repairs will soon be free, he can't help but wonder one thing: what took them so long?

"When I saw the press release I thought, oh my goodness, the wheels of government do turn slowly. I guess there's an election coming," he said.

Starting in the spring, customers with optional ICBC coverage will be able to have a windshield chip fixed at no cost, as long as it is deemed safe to do so.

It's a service the public auto insurer used to offer but abandoned in 2001, forcing drivers to pay a $200 deductible for a new windshield even if there was just a small, repairable chip.

Paull, who has advocated for the change for years, says not having the chip repair option never made any sense, especially in the B.C. Interior.

"The highways contractors don't put down sand here. They put down a heavier aggregate and that's a real nuisance for windshields. And I thought it was unfair that people in the Interior ... were having to pay a lot more for windshield repairs than people down on the coast."

Chip to crack to safety hazard

"A lot of people were letting those rock chips stay because they couldn't afford to get them repaired. They would then develop into full grown cracks that would impede vision and jeopardize safety," said Paull.

ICBC says since 2010, windshield replacement claims have climbed 17 per cent and nearly 30 per cent in cost.

In a statement, the public auto insurer says improved chip repair technology is one of the reasons to make the change.

"Moving toward windshield repair rather than full replacement, when possible, is something that will hugely benefit residents in my community and more rural parts of B.C.," said Donna Barnett, minister of state for rural economic development.

ICBC says almost 110,000 windshield replacement claims were handled in 2016, with an average replacement cost of $820.

A typical windshield chip repair costs less than $70.

Free chipped windshield repair prg for customers of private passenger & light commercial vehicles w/comp. coverage: <a href="https://t.co/YvcFpyG8mQ">https://t.co/YvcFpyG8mQ</a> <a href="https://t.co/9gpWhKEST7">pic.twitter.com/9gpWhKEST7</a> —@icbc

With files from CBC's Radio West