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4h ago

AIRB Says Alberta’s Care‑First Model Cuts Average Auto Premiums 13.7%

Regulator estimates show net savings for most drivers with notable increases for motorcycles and some commercial vehicles before Jan. 1 implementation.

The scene of a two vehicle collision alone 38 Avenue west of 17 Street, Thursday Aug. 29, 2024.
Trans-Canada Highway traffic heads back into Calgary from the west on Victoria Day at the end of the long weekend, Monday May 19, 2025.
The Alberta Auto Insurance Rate Board says Alberta motorists will see on average a savings of $297 per vehicle under the province's new insurance model set to take effect in January.
Mark McCourt is an Edmonton injury lawyer.

Overview

  • The Alberta Auto Insurance Rate Board published two reports showing private passenger premiums would fall 13.7 percent on average, equal to about $297 per vehicle, and that roughly 88 percent of the province’s insured vehicles would see some reduction.
  • The analysis says about 10 percent of vehicles, roughly 310,000 policies, will face higher rates with motorcycle premiums rising about 37 percent and dump‑truck coverage up nearly 6 percent.
  • The biggest savings are projected for younger drivers, new Canadians, parents with children, and blue‑collar workers according to the AIRB’s breakdown by demographic and driving profiles.
  • The government’s Care‑First plan, scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, replaces the fault-based tort system and expands medical, rehabilitation, and income‑support benefits, while the AIRB numbers serve as the regulator’s baseline that revises the government’s earlier $400 savings claim downward.
  • The reform has drawn pushback from personal‑injury lawyers who warn it reduces accountability and from political opponents inside the UCP and the NDP, and the coming months are likely to focus on insurer behavior, claims access and detailed rate rules as implementation approaches.