Editor:
Recently, I got caught in a good old-fashioned “cash grab” on the Coast. It’s called Traffic Court and it happens intermittently in Sechelt.
I was there to plead “guilty with regrets” for driving without insurance in 2017. That is, having inadvertently overlooked my insurance renewal date by a couple of weeks and then getting pulled over by a trailing police car. For this I had no excuse other than I lost the one reminder letter I’d received from ICBC and just forgot to add it to my calendar. It was my first such transgression in 44 years of driving.
What I learned in Traffic Court was that most of the 10 or so non-uniformed bodies in attendance were there for the same reason as me. We all pleaded “guilty with regrets,” for which our fines were reduced from $600 to $345, and we received a lecture from the judge about how we needed to be more careful and should do a vehicle check each time before we drive, including checking to ensure our insurance is valid. Those who didn’t attend court were presumed to be guilty and saddled with the full fine.
I piped up when it was my turn to stand and appear contrite that I thought it was time for ICBC to join the modern world and send out email reminders about pending insurance renewal dates. After all, I get reminders about everything from data usage to veterinary visits and they help me stay on top of these things.
The judge didn’t seem to agree. “ICBC doesn’t have to do anything,” he insisted. “They send out the letters as a courtesy!”
I zipped up at that point and nodded affirmatively. Then I paid my fine and left.
Later, on pondering this further, I did a little napkin calculation imagining Traffic Court being played out in every provincial courtroom. I think it’s plausible that these courts bring in maybe $250,000 per year from this enterprise. That’s not too shabby for a pretty minimal effort by the Crown and its representatives.
As for those of us contributing to the pot, I perceive this as a sting operation that drains our wallet but accomplishes little else. And if we’re all “guilty with regrets” then isn’t it time to re-think this?
I think an email reminder is a good starting point. And if ICBC and the Crown also want to generate some more revenue, how about fining speeding drivers? This summer I encountered numerous speeding and dangerous drivers all over the Coast. And not once did I see a speed trap.
Michael Maser, Gibsons
