“Don’t let this be you.”
Those words from the West Shore RCMP in a news release on Wednesday (Aug. 9) were accompanied by a photo of a car being towed away.
That’s because the vehicle was uninsured – a situation the local police say they’ve seen a “dramatic rise” in lately.
In July 2023, the West Shore RCMP Traffic Unit issued 65 tickets for driving without vehicle insurance as compared to 21 tickets for the same offence in July 2022.
“Throughout the past year, we have seen a steady increase in the number of vehicles on the roadway that do not have vehicle insurance,” says the news release. “Police believe this is partly due to licence plate validation decals no longer being required as of May 2022.”
The local RCMP say their vehicles are equipped with Automated Licence Plate Recognition technology. ALPR has the ability to scan licence plates while officers are patrolling and it alerts them to a vehicle that is violating driving laws within its vicinity, no insurance is among these alerts, according to Cpl. Mike Jacobson, with the West Shore RCMP Traffic Enforcement unit.
If you are caught with no vehicle insurance, you can be fined $598 and your vehicle may be towed.
“Even worse than receiving a ticket for no insurance, is being involved in a collision when you do not have insurance,” said police. “This could result in you being sued and held liable for damages. We strongly encourage motorists to ensure they have the proper insurance on their vehicles. You can further protect yourself by making sure you have uninsured motorist coverage.”
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