What Car Insurance Do I Need to Buy from ICBC?
Basic insurance is mandatory if you own and license a vehicle in British Columbia. Basic auto insurance is only provided through ICBC.
Only licensed car insurance experts, such as Western Financial Group, can offer you the mandatory basic ICBC Autoplan insurance coverage.
A licensed insurance salesperson from Western may also offer you optional car insurance in B.C. related to your car, such as collision, comprehensive, and replacement cost coverage.
What is basic auto insurance coverage under ICBC?
Basic ICBC auto insurance includes five main types of coverage:
- Third-party liability insurance coverage: A crash can cause injuries to someone or damage their property or vehicle. If you’re at fault, the other person could recover their losses by making a claim against you and your Autoplan policy. ICBC Basic Autoplan provides you with $200,000 worth of third-party liability coverage.
Of note: If you choose not to purchase additional liability coverage above the $200,000 provided in ICBC Basic Autoplan and you are found liable for a claim, you will be responsible for paying the portion of the claim exceeding $200,000, as well as interest and legal costs.
As a result, you may want to consider extended third-party liability coverage, which is an optional Autoplan product. Many motorists increase their Basic Autoplan third-party liability coverage to $1 million or more.
Did you know? Your valid licence plate number is your ICBC policy number.
- Accident benefits: ICBC Autoplan accident benefits helps you with medical costs and wage loss if you are injured in a crash, regardless of who is at fault. ICBC pays accident benefits to all occupants of a vehicle licensed and insured in B.C.
Autoplan accident benefits provide reimbursement for reasonable and necessary expenses for medical and rehabilitation services to a limit of $150,000 for each insured person injured. This can include medical, dental, hospital, ambulance, chiropractic, or physiotherapy treatments, among other types of care.
- Underinsured motorist protection: Underinsured motorist protection provides you with up to $1 million in coverage if you are injured or killed by the owner or operator of an underinsured vehicle and you are not at fault for the crash.
For example, if the at-fault motorist has only $200,000 in third-party liability coverage, but damages for injuries to you and your passengers exceed that amount, underinsured motorist protection will cover the excess amount to a maximum of $1 million per person.
- Protection against hit-and-run and uninsured motorists: Under B.C.’s Insurance (Vehicle) Act, automatic coverage up to a maximum of $200,000 is available to B.C. residents whose property is damaged, or who are injured or killed by an uninsured or hit-and-run driver on a highway in B.C.
This benefit is separate from the coverage afforded by ICBC basic compulsory car insurance and is available to all B.C. residents, even if they don’t own and insure a vehicle.
- Inverse liability coverage: This part of Basic Autoplan insurance covers you, to the extent that you are not at fault, for loss or damage to your vehicle if the crash happens in, or the at-fault driver comes from certain parts of Canada or the United States where the right to recover losses is legally prohibited.
If you are involved in a crash under these circumstances, Basic Autoplan will pay the cost of repairs to your car to the extent that the other driver is liable. This applies even when you do have collision coverage. If you have collision coverage from ICBC or a private insurer, Basic Autoplan will pay the portion of your deductible for which the other driver is liable.
Optional car insurance coverages in B.C.
Collision insurance covers the cost of repairing or replacing your car if you hit another vehicle or object.
Comprehensive insurance covers the cost of repairing or replacing your car due to damage from vandalism, fire, or theft.
Save on your British Columbia car insurance when you bundle it with your home insurance
When you bundle your British Columbia car and home insurance with Western Financial Group, you can get a discount and it’s an easy way to cut costs without cutting coverage. You’ll also get one bill instead of two.
If you have more than one car and they’re insured under the same policy, you can save with a multi-vehicle discount.
If you’re a renter, you can bundle your renter's insurance with car insurance to get a discount.
Ask us about other discounts
Are you claims free?
A soft credit check can give you the best price for your car insurance.
Does your car have vehicle safety features?
If you don’t drive much, you could save money on your car insurance.
Did you know? A higher deductible can lower your car insurance premium.
