ICBC says it's not cut and dried and depends on how your work vehicle is rated

A trucker from Langley says he was told on-the-job crashes will affect his personal insurance rates

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — New ICBC rules could mean that commercial drivers found at fault for a workplace crash will pay more for their personal insurance.

Joey Vance lives in Langley and drives a truck.

When you drive for a living, your chances of being in an accident are a lot higher, says Vance, who drives about 140,000 kilometres a year.

“You’re bound to have nicks and bumps and stuff like that. You drive so much more than the average person.”

He got a letter from his employer detailing how his own insurance premiums could increase if he’s ever at fault for a crash in a fleet vehicle.

“The way they explained it to us is that every commercial driver right now driving in B.C.–if they get involved in a crash and it’s their fault–when they go to renew their personal insurance, it goes up,” he says.

ICBC says it isn’t cut and dried and depends on the rate class of the vehicle.

“Not all people who have an at-fault crash while driving for work will see an impact on their personal insurance. It’s only if you’re driving for work in a personal-rated vehicle,” says an ICBC spokesperson.

Drivers in buses or garbage trucks, for example, won’t see on-the-job crashes affect their personal rates.

The insurance corporation has heard concerns from drivers like Vance, and companies like the one he works for, about the new driver-based rates.

“We understand that this is a significant change, and operators of fleets told us they need more time to prepare their employees and educate them about the complex changes. So that’s why we’re giving business owners and their employees until January 1, before at-fault crashes may cause an impact.”

ICBC also says drivers can pay the cost of claims less than $2,000 in order to avoid penalties.