B.C. drivers support auto insurance competition, IBC poll reveals

The latest Pollara-conducted poll of drivers in British Columbia suggests that about 72% of the driving population favors open competition in auto insurance within the province. The Pollara poll, conducted on behalf of the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), also indicates that 63% of drivers are opposed to the government-run Insurance Corp. of B.C. (ICBC) being the sole provider of auto insurance in the province.Furthermore, a majority of respondents believe that the B.C. government should be responsible for issues such as road safety and licensing, rather than the current system overseen by ICBC. "This issue [ICBC’s monopoly over basic auto insurance] has been one of much debate for many years and now, there seems to be a [public] consensus in favor of competition and choice," says the IBC’s vice president Pacific region, Lindsay Olson.