An auto insurance advisory committee appointed by the Alberta government has recommended that the province should switch from its current tort system into a private, no-fault insurance model.
“The committee concluded that due to poor health outcomes and continuous price instability resulting from the current Alberta model, it must be fundamentally reformed to properly serve the interests of traffic injured and insured motorists alike,” committee chair Chris Daniels said.
The committee shared its 37 recommendations in a 536-page report published last week, CBC News reported. According to the report, the average Alberta consumer with full insurance coverage would see a 9.4% reduction in premiums if the provincial government makes the switch to no-fault.
To make the switch, the Alberta government will have to establish an independent traffic injury regulator to both handle claims and assess which benefits injured individuals should receive. This regulator would then be funded by both the government and the insurance industry.
Recommendations to switch Alberta’s insurance model to a no-fault system come as British Columbia is looking to go through with its own transition under its elected NDP government. The plan to have the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia offer mandatory Basic Vehicle Damage coverage has already convinced at least one private insurer – Intact Insurance – to withdraw from BC’s optional auto coverage market.
