Recent trends show that both high-performance vehicles and more common models are equally targeted. The most-prized vehicles are SUVs, pickups, hybrids, and any vehicle with a key fob. In Oakville, Ontario, alone, a total of 124 vehicles were stolen over six months, with 66 of those linked to relay or reprogramming technology.2 Using a “relay device,” thieves can amplify the signal of a vehicle’s key fob, allowing them to gain access to the vehicle, unlock, start, and steal it – without ever having possession of the actual key fob.

In many theft cases, however, theft prevention measures could have been taken by the vehicle owners. What can you do to protect your vehicle and prevent theft? Here are a few tips:

Always lock your vehicle, even while it’s on your property.

If you have a garage, keep your vehicle in the garage, and lock the garage as well.

Place your vehicle’s key fob inside a radio frequency-shielding bag or pouch while not in use to prevent mobile signals. Signal blocking bags, pouches and containers can stop access to your vehicle by blocking your key fob from transmitting its code to the vehicle as they are made of or lined with magnetic material. Putting your keys in a signal blocking pouch will stop any thieves from being able to amplify the signal used in relay theft.

If you are in the process of removing groceries or other items from your car, turn off the vehicle’s motor and take the keys. Monitor the vehicle and lock it between trips.

Keep your vehicle locked while you are in the car.

Never leave your keys or other valuables, including your vehicle title, in your car. If you absolutely must leave something of value in your car, ensure it is out of sight, ideally in the trunk.

Try to avoid higher crime areas. Park in a secure parking garage with a valet and real-time video security, or on a well-lit, busy street.

Leverage your vehicle’s app and anti-theft features, including steering lock, passive alarms, ignition cut-off systems, and next-generation vehicle-tracking systems. That way, if you accidentally leave your vehicle unlocked, you will receive alerts via the app.

Consider installing an anti-theft device on your catalytic converter.
Consider installing a high-quality video surveillance system and ensure that your cameras are properly installed and operational 24/7.

Install a device that stops criminals from bypassing the ignition and hotwiring the car. Devices that need wireless ignition authentication, as well as starter, ignition, and fuel pump disablers, fall under this category.

Refer to your insurance policy or speak with your agent to learn more about possible anti-theft system discounts and liability and comprehensive coverage.

Additional Resources:

https://www.motorious.com/articles/news/40-stolen-cars-canada/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/york-police-seize-high-end-vehicles-1.5954756
http://www.ibc.ca/nb/auto/theft
https://www.chch.com/halton-police-see-spike-in-high-end-vehicle-thefts-with-keyless-entry/

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This is a change from the old Autoplan ICBC system where the discount for the drivers were reliant on who the principal operator was. Now every driver will have to be named on the vehicle, and the total premium will be potentially affected by who is driving the vehicle.Each driver’s experience and crash history are now the significant consideration when determining premiums as crashes are now linked to the driver, not the vehicle.

When renewing or buying new Autoplan ICBC insurance, it is important to name every driver that is going to be using the vehicle. Everyone living in the household who is going to be driving the vehicle at least 1 time will have to be named on the policy. The only exception to this rule is if they have to drive in an emergency situation.

Employees on a company vehicle or the vehicle of their employer are considered to be household members and would have to be named. Those drivers that live outside the household who be driving more than 11 times during the year will have to be named. (we touched on this a previous article on how the Autoplan Unlisted Driver Protection can help protect unlisted drivers outside the household).
Once all of the drivers on the vehicle are confirmed there will be a combined driver factor created in the system for the vehicle, and the Autoplan policy will be rated by that number.

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Autoplan Replacement cost coverage:
Can be purchased on new and used vehicles in the first three model years. When a total loss occurs on a vehicle and the Autoplan client has replacement cost on their vehicle, they will receive a replacement of their vehicle with the most current model of the same vehicle. In the odd case that the newest model is unavailable the ICBC Autoplan clients will receive the original net purchase price of the vehicle, or the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) at the date of purchase.You also receive OEM coverage for parts on partial losses.

Limited depreciation coverage:
Can also be purchased on new or used vehicles for the first three model years.When a loss occurs on a vehicle with limited depreciation coverage, the client will receive replacement with similar make, model,year, style, and options but notnecessarily identical, or the lesser of: the original net purchase price paid, or the MSRP at the date of purchase. When Autoplan Limited depreciation coverage is used on a pre owned or used vehicle it will be replaced by similar make, model,year, style, and options but notnecessarily identical, or the owner will receive 90% of the MRSP at the time it was manufactured. Limited depreciation is less to purchase.

Provides the insured with protection against the effects of inflation and depreciation on

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After the first at-fault crash for an unlisted driver the Autoplan Unlisted Driver Protection will cost $50, for a second at-fault crash the Autoplan Unlisted Driver Protection will be $250, a third at-fault crash will be $500,a fourth at-fault crash would make it $1000, and five or more at-fault crashes would make the coverage cost $1500.
There are restrictionsas to who is covered with the Autoplan Unlisted Driver Protection. This Autoplan coverage doesn’t apply to household members or employees of the registered owner, lessee, or principal driver of the vehicle. People without a driver license are also excluded, as well as people who drove any of the registered owners or lessee vehicle more than 12 days in the 12 months prior to the crash.In addition there is an exclusion for people who have had an at-fault crash in any of the owners or lessee vehicles over the last five years.

At this time you should say yes to this coverage as there is no charge and will protect you in the event you have lent your auto to someone outside of your home or office. If someone is a regular user of your vehicle (more than once a month on average) they should be listed on your Autoplan policy. In addition anyone who was listed as a secondary driver and drove your auto more than 12 times in the previous year should be listed for mone more year or not borropw your car

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ICBC Autoplan Special Risk Own Damage is a type of policy that is available for purchased for high-value vehicles.
To determine if your vehicle qualifies for ICBC Autoplan Special Risk Own Damage you need to know what the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) is. If your vehicle is less than seven years old and has a value of over $150,000 then it qualifies for the special risk own damage policy.Your vehicle may also qualify if it is less than fourteen years of age and the value of your vehicle exceeds $400,000.

To assist youwe have included a link to the running list on ICBC.com with a list of vehicles that currently qualify for the Autoplan Special Risk Own Damage.
(https://www.icbc.com/insurance/products-coverage/Documents/vehicle-list.pdf)
For ICBC Autoplan Special Risk Own Damage policies you are able to purchase both collision and comprehensive coverage while your Third Party liability would continue to be purchased on a normal APV250 policy. For both the collision and comprehensive coverage the amount of the deductible will be determined by an underwriter at ICBC. The application must be submitted at least five days prior to your upcoming renewal or five days prior to the purchase of a new vehicle to you.

Hopefully this provides you with sufficient information on what options you have when it comes to purchasing Autoplan overage for your higher end or luxury car and you were wondering how the insurance works. If you require further details please contact our office.

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ICBC has different rate classes for different usages that clients have for the vehicle they own. It is always good to make sure your Autoplan policy is correct when driving your vehicle.The most common Autoplan rate classes are pleasure use, work or school, and business use.
When an Autoplan vehicle is rated for pleasure use it is only allowed to be used to drive to work or school up to six times per month.Parents may, without restriction to the number of days, drive their child of school age and any other children at the same time to or from, or part way to or from the school that their children are registered at. This does not apply when the person themselves is enrolled in school and uses the vehicle to drive to or from, or part way to or from their school.
If someone is wanting to use their vehicle to drive to school or work they will be rated differently than pleasure use. It will have to be determined if you drive over or under 15 kilometers to your work or school. There is also a different Autoplan rate class if you only drive part way to work or school.
The last most common Autoplan rate class is business use; this is used when someone’s work requires them to be in various locations during the day to visit clients or attend different offices.
Those are a the more popular rate classes used with Autoplan. It’s always good on renewal to check with your broker to make sure that your vehicle is rated for the proper rate class.

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If you are moving to BC from another province or country, or just importing a vehicle there are certain steps you need to take before you can get ICBC Autoplan insurance. When a vehicle is being imported to British Columbia PST will need to be paid when you register it. There are exceptions though.

A person moving back into the province or is moving here for the first time will be able to apply for settler’s effects exemption. Applying for this through ICBC Autoplan will allow the BC resident to not have to pay the PST on their vehicle. The vehicle must have been owned for more than 30 days before entering the province to be able to apply for settlers effects; it also must have been under the same name in the other jurisdiction.

Vehicles being imported from outside of British Columbia will most likely need an inspection before they can be registered through ICBC Autoplan. These inspections can be done at various registered locations across the province. If you are coming from Alberta, Manitoba, or Saskatchewan you may be exempt from getting an inspection if all of the criteria is met. Part of the criteria is the vehicle being no more than three years old (the calendar year minus 3), vehicle must be privately owned or leased, and the person must be a new or returning resident to BC.

These are just a few things to know when you are importing a vehicle from out of province and would like to register with ICBC Autoplan.

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The Autoplan ICBC Insurance Rating Model (IRM), the new way for calculating premiums for ICBC insurance polices, has been in effect since September 1st, 2019. The IRM calculates the premium associated with a policy based on the vehicle a customer is driving and the individuals driving that vehicle.

This is a change from the previousAutoplan ICBC system where the discount for the vehicle was reliant on who the principal operator was. Now every regular driver will have to be named on the vehicle, and the total premium will be affected by who is driving the vehicle.Each driver’s experience and crash history are given a more significant considerationwhen determining premiums because crashes are linked to the driver, not the vehicle.

When renewing or buying new Autoplan ICBC insurance, it is important to name every driver that is going to be driving the vehicle. Everyone living in the household who is going to be driving the vehicle at least 1 time will have to be named on the policy. The only exception to this is if they would be allowed to drive your vehicle in an emergency situation. Employees on a company vehicle or the vehicle of their employer are considered to be household members and will have to be named.

Outside the household if someone is going to be driving more than 11 times during the year they will also have to be named; as we touched in a previous article the Autoplan Unlisted Driver Protection can help protect unlisted drivers outside the household. (see specific rules).

Once all of the drivers on the vehicle are confirmed there will be a combined driver factor in the system for the vehicle, and the Autoplan policy will be rated by that number.

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ICBC Autoplan Collision coverage is available to cover physical damage to your vehicle. Even the best drives make mistakes and this coverage will help you cover repair and replacement costs when you are at fault in a crash. Different deductibles for collision are available – $300, $500, $1000 and $2500. Every driver can purchase this coverage unless they have had a history of multiple collision claims coverage at all. In that case higher deductibles or no coverage at all can be offered.

ICBC Autoplan Comprehensive coverage is non-collision damage that can happen in a variety of different ways. Fire, theft and vandalism are the standards for this coverage but things like chipped windshields and fallen trees can happen as well. Making claims on this coverage will not affect your current safe-driving discount. Deductibles come in the same limits as Autoplan Collision coverage ($300, $500, $1000, $2500).

Comprehensive coverage also includes free windshield repair when the damage is smaller than a loonie. When the $300 deductible is purchased comprehensive coverage includes a deductible limit of $200 for windshield damage caused by missiles or flying objects. Other types of non-collision damage that Autoplan comprehensive covers includes earthquake, explosion, hitting a domestic or wild animal, falling or flying objects such as a rock or gravel hitting your windshield, and weather related damages including lightning, windstorm, hail, and rising water.

Hopefully after reading his you have a better understanding of what is covered with these coverages, and if you still have questions don’t hesitate to call and ask your Autoplan broker.

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