Port Mann crashes could result in higher premiums
Posted January 4, 2013 7:59 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (NEWS1130) – Consider yourself lucky if you weren’t on the Port Mann bridge yesterday morning — but not too lucky.
All drivers may end up paying for a series crashes that involved 40 cars.
ICBC is still tallying up the claims from the icy mayhem, but you can bet the tab will be steep. SFU political scientist Patrick Smith points out incidents like this represent an indirect hit to taxpayers.
“[It sounds] like ICBC is going to be taking a hit as well, and… ultimately, it means all of us,” he explains. “Every time ICBC gets a whack of things, all of our public auto insurance goes up. So should we be having to pay for that or should the contractor be paying for that?”
However, Adam Grossman with the insurer disputes that; in an email to News1130, he points out that 40 claims, while a significant amount, is not enough to affect overall premiums.
He also doesn’t expect to have final numbers for a number of weeks, as it will take some time before all repair shop bills are received and paid.
Transportation Investment Corporation, the company that maintains the bridge, has apologized for not having maintenance crews de-ice the span. It’s the second apology in two weeks, after “ice bombs” fell from the Port Mann’s support cables during a snowstorm last month.
