Manitoba’s Driver Safety Rating comes into effect in early 2010

Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI)’s Driver Safety Rating (DSR) system will begin on Mar. 1, 2010.
The objective of DSR is to reward safe driving based on a system of premium decreases or increases tied to safe and risky driving behaviours, respectively.
A driver’s risk will be rated on a sliding scale of between +15 and -20, with zero in the middle. Drivers would move one merit point up the scale for each year they go without a conviction or at-fault accident.
For convictions or at-fault accidents, a driver would incur demerit points, causing them to slide down the scale.
Going up the scale would result in premium discounts, whereas going down the scale would result in premium surcharges.
“The new merit/demerit system (the Driver Safety Rating system) was designed to provide stronger rewards and incentives for safer driving,” MPI notes in a release.
The new multi-year Autopac renewal system also begins on Mar. 1, 2010. Under the new system, drivers and owners will be required to visit their broker when they have coverage or classification changes, or once every five years, versus the current annual visit.