A Panel of Experts in Quebec has approved the proposed 2016-2018 auto insurance contributions issued by the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), although it issued 13 recommendations to help the agency manage funding in a way that “evolves with the times.”
“We believe that the insurance contributions proposed by the SAAQ are appropriate,” Michel Sanschagrin, Chair of the Panel of Experts, said in a statement. “Each category of contributor pays the costs attributed to it. The SAAQ’s proposal is therefore in keeping with the principle of equity, which is one of the foundations of the public automobile insurance plan.”
In order to ensure that this public plan remains up-to-date, however, the Panel issued recommendations with the goals of helping to “manage funding in a manner that is both prudent and responsible, refine the rating process, and, more generally, help the plan evolve in accordance with the needs of insured individuals.”
Such provisions include enhancing the safety of motorcyclists, possibly by creating an agency to oversee their welfare and evaluating whether telematics should impact the way insurance contributions are determined.
Other recommendations include:
- Ensuring that motorcyclists who have been off the road for a period of time still possess the skills needed to drive one safely
- Updating the demerit point schedule to more closely align with drivers’ risk profiles caused by at-fault collisions
- Amending payment notices to better reflect the basic insurance contribution and added contributions required by demerit points.
Otherwise, the Panel feels that the SAAQ plan is a triumph, and will continue to be successful as long as it modernizes alongside industry developments.
“The automobile insurance plan is without a doubt one of Quebec’s greatest achievements,” said Sanschagrin. “We can all be proud of it. The road safety record is improving, and the financial situation of the Fonds d’assurance has been corrected. The plan is evolving well, but we must maintain equity and make sure that it continues to grow in accordance with the needs of insured individuals.”
