Starting Sunday, changes to the way ICBC determines how much drivers pay for car insurance will cost some people a lot more money, while others will see rates decrease.
"It's probably going to go up,” said Victoria Chiu, who is thankful she doesn’t have to renew until next summer.
Some drivers, even with clean records, have already been left reeling after seeing the numbers.
"Yes, I am younger, but I didn't think it would affect me that much,” Anastasia Paterson told CTV News. “I thought maybe my insurance would go up $50 max … but not $545."
She wound up cancelling her policy early and paying a penalty fee so she could sign up for a full year of coverage before the changes took effect.
According to numbers from ICBC, under the new system 75 per cent of drivers who only get basic coverage through the Crown corporation will see an increase, and 45 per cent of drivers who purchase basic and optional coverage from it will also pay more.
Most drivers who spoke to CTV News Vancouver were not sure yet whether their rates would go up or down, but many of them commented that ICBC would not be in this position if the province was willing to open up the insurance market to more private competition.
“I think ICBC is a monopoly and it shouldn’t be that way,” said driver Selina Chew.
"ICBC gets to dictate basically whatever rates they want,” added Jordan Rebner. “They have zero competition which just creates an unfair marketplace for us, the consumer.”
As it works to reform ICBC, the NDP government is unlikely to expand private insurance options.
Earlier this year, the corporation also put a cap of $5,500 on pain and suffering payouts for minor injuries.
