This may be a good reminder to double-check any legal advice you may get from friends that could land you in hot water.
A Vancouver driver was pulled over on Wednesday, Jan. 10, when the Vancouver Police Department's Automatic License Plate Recognition system spotted an issue.
The vehicle's insurance expired in August - not of last year, but rather August 2020.
For the past three-and-a-half years the driver of the black BMW SUV had been driving around uninsured.
According to the VPD's traffic section on Twitter, the driver said they hadn't renewed their insurance because "their friend mentioned it was not needed."
B.C. no longer issues registration decals but vehicles must be insured
In 2022, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) announced that decals - the colour-coded month and year sticker drivers affixed to their licence plates to indicate the expiration date for their vehicle's registration - would no longer be issued.
However, insurance is required for any motor vehicle operating on public roads in British Columbia.
Specifically, ICBC Basic Autoplan insurance is mandatory for all B.C. drivers.
Drivers can choose to purchase additional optional coverage offered by ICBC and other private insurers.
The VPD sees people without insurance from time to time, says VPD spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin; this particular driver received a ticket for the offence.
With files from Chuck Chiang
