While it may seem strange to advocate for more speeding tickets, one industry leader makes a convincing case for brokers supporting increased policing of roads.
“I’ve said for some time now (to deaf ears, it seems) that there is a distinct connection between law enforcement’s reliance on photo radar and how poorly Albertans drive today,” said Al Sibilo, COO, HighStreet Insurance Brokers. “Privileged Albertans treat the fines as a mere irritant - a minor dent in their vast disposable income.”
Sibilo contrasts this to his experience as a personal lines underwriter in the mid-80s, when drivers would face insurance penalties for consecutive speeding tickets. While the first three went unpunished, the fourth would generate a 25% surcharge, the fifth would raise premiums by 15% and a sixth would cause yet another 15% spike.
“Back then, we pulled an abstract on every new policy that we wrote, and it would be very unusual to see an abstract with nothing on it,” he said. Now, Sibilo says it’s surprising to see more than one or two speeding tickets on any driver’s abstract.
“About 20+ years ago, when speeders were stopped by real cops and received real tickets with real demerits, the embarrassment and inconvenience of being stopped, plus the assignment of demerit points, and then (as icing on the cake) the higher cost of insurance, made people think about their behavior,” he said. “Laser/radar traps used to be everywhere; now they’re an extremely rare sight.”
Now that most policyholders look the same on paper, regardless of their driving habits, Sibilo believes that the top tier of drivers ends up unfairly subsidizing many others.
“As a result, it is more difficult now for insurers to predict the higher risk driver, and we therefore all pay a higher premium for those drivers who never get caught, which is also why insurers are resorting to rating by credit history and the like,” he said.
Sibilo admits that even he is a little less cautious on the road, knowing that the outcome of a traffic violation is relatively harmless.
“I’m not immune,” he said. “I know my chances of getting caught are low and the fine is inconsequential.”
