If you鈥檙e renewing your vehicle insurance today, you鈥檒l likely notice a few changes in the process.

They鈥檙e all part of measures ICBC is taking to drive home accountability, which means you will be asked for a little more information when you insure your vehicle.

The , which came into effect Sept. 1, is more driver-based to better reflect the risk associated with those who will be behind the wheel, explains Joanna Linsangan.

鈥淚t鈥檚 all about driver accountability. It means that safer drivers will pay less for their insurance with ICBC and higher-risk drivers will pay more,鈥� she says.

Ready to renew? Here鈥檚 what you need to know:

• The renewal process may be a little more involved under the new model, at least for the first year, so try to allow a little more time, Linsangan suggests. You鈥檒l want to list the drivers who drive your car, and have their driver鈥檚 license numbers and date鈥檚 of birth on-hand.
• Think about who you plan to let drive your vehicle. Your rate will be based 75 per cent on the driving record of the person who drives the most and 25 per cent on the record of the highest-risk driver, Linsangan explains.
• Like private insurers have long done, ICBC will consider multiple and serious driving convictions for infractions like excessive speeding when providing rates for optional coverage. 鈥淗ow we calculate premiums will be heavily weighted on your driving history,鈥� Linsangan says.
• You may qualify for new discounts. If you have a vehicle with factory installed autonomous emergency braking, you could qualify for a 10 per cent discount, in recognition of the technology鈥檚 ability to reduce crashes. Another 10 per cent discount is available for those who drive less frequently or for shorter distances 鈥� the low kilometre discount applies to cars driven less than 5,000 kilometres per year. Take a photo of your odometer and you may be eligible at next year鈥檚 renewal.

Good news for good drivers

More change is in the works that will reward responsible drivers. While the 鈥渟afe driver鈥� Basic insurance discount previously recognized only up to 9 years of safe driving, drivers will continue to earn additional savings for up to 40 years of driving.

In addition, if you鈥檝e been driving for 20 years, and have a 10-year crash-free record, if a crash does occur, it will be forgiven without impacting your premiums.

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