The Ontario authorities is contemplating altering the brink for Property Injury Solely (PBO) collision reporting—greater than doubling the harm worth required earlier than a crash have to be reported to police.
Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria instructed CTV Information Toronto the greenback threshold has remained stagnant at $2,000 since 2015.
“We’ve heard some challenges that folks have with respect to attending to reporting centres,” he stated.
“As know-how advances, as automobiles advance, we’ve additionally seen the worth of autos improve, and plenty of different elements that feed into that threshold of $2,000.”
Because it stands, if a driver will get right into a collision involving harm to public or non-public property, however no bodily harm, and the harm is below the brink, they don’t have to contact or register the car with authorities.
The province is now contemplating altering that threshold to $5,000, citing elements comparable to inflation and the development of automotive know-how.
The minister stated he anticipates legislation enforcement, insurance coverage suppliers and drivers will take part within the two-week session, which ends on March 5.
A precedence, Sarkaria famous, shall be to make sure the adjustments don’t considerably impression insurance coverage charges. In 2022, Ontario’s auditor normal discovered that auto insurance coverage premiums had risen about 14 per cent since 2017.
Elliott Silverstein, director of presidency relations for CAA Insurance coverage, says the change gained’t essentially have a huge impact on charges.
“We nonetheless attempt to encourage individuals to drive safely, to ensure they interact their insurance coverage firms once they’re in a collision,” he stated. “However I feel that when it comes to the system and the method itself, it gives some aid to the collision reporting facilities.”
Silverstein famous that only a few collisions lead to lower than $2,000 value of damages these days, particularly contemplating how interconnected know-how is inside autos. He known as the proposal “constructive,” including that it helps create a steadiness and ease to collision reporting.
“This idea of bringing it as much as $5,000 would actually permit minor, minor fender benders to be addressed with out having to undergo all of the processes,” he stated.
“It helps present a few of that aid, that if you’re unlucky scenario …your line ups and wait occasions may very well be much less as a result of police and reporting facilities are extra directed to those which are extra vital.”
Drivers can at all times report a collision if the property harm is lower than the brink for necessary reporting, the province pressured. The selection stays with the driving force.
