Brokers hear calls for mandatory ATV insurance

Brokers in Prince Edward Island say a call for mandatory insurance coverage for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in the province may not represent as much of a change from the status quo as portrayed in recent media reports.

 

Greg Myers, president of the ATV federation, recently called for mandatory insurance coverage for ATVs. “In the province of New Brunswick and the province of Nova Scotia, it's a mandatory insurance to carry on an ATV, so why do we not have it on P.E.I.?” Myers was quoted as saying in an online CBC report. 

 

“I'd like to see it before year's end, personally. The federation would like to see it as soon as possible as well, because that shows a more responsible act towards the sport.”

 

Only 2,000 of 6,000 ATVs are registered, and even fewer have insurance, the ATV Federation says.

 

One safety concern is that uninsured drivers are currently vulnerable to lawsuits if they’re involved in an accident. Brokers share the federation’s concerns about public safety and potential liability in the instance of a crash. 

 

But brokers in the province didn’t anticipate any great rush through their doors for ATV insurance if such an initiative were to be enacted in legislation. (continued.) 

 

“We insure a lot of ATVs, but it’s not compulsory yet,” said Gordie Blanchard, H.L. Sear Insurance Ltd.

 

Blanchard said it wasn’t even clear that brokers would receive more work if a new license plate system were to be enacted. Currently, it’s illegal for ATVs to travel on Confederation Trail or highways. So the licensing system would likely apply only to ATVs travelling off-road or on personal property.

 

Blanchard said it was really too early to tell whether or not the proposal would affect brokers.

 

“We haven’t heard anything yet about which way this is going to go or when it may take effect,” he said. “We haven’t had any contact with customers inquiring about it. There’s been no paperwork. We’ve received nothing from the insurers or P.E.I.”

 

One broker, who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak on behalf of her brokerage, said the impact of a mandatory insurance scheme on brokers in the province would be “very little.”

 

The biggest challenge for brokers, she said, would be to make sure the legislation conformed to the demographic of ATV riders.

 

“I guess the dilemma would be that you can definitely drive an ATV under the age of 16 and you don’t have to have a license for it,” she said. “But you can’t get a contract with insurance unless you are 16. That might be the only complication, although if the government mandates it, that’s the way it is.”