REGARDING RATES
Tom Bissonnette, director of the Saskatchewan Association of Automotive Repairers (SAAR) and Terry Beattie, SAAR board member and owner of LB Beattie Autobody, recently met with Saskatchewan Government Insurance Management to discuss bodyshop material (BSM) rates, among other topics. “Bottom line,” wrote Bissonnette in his weekly newsletter to SAAR members, “SGI will leave the BSM rate at $6.12 per hour.” Regarding the paint shop material (PSM) [rates], the insurer has committed to a 6.5 percent increase for this year, but SGI “wants it to be known that they will be reviewing the PSM rate next year,” wrote Bissonnette. In return for its considerations, SGI is asking for SAAR’s help in doubling the number of used parts in the coming year. Bissonnette said SGI will “link up with LKQ to source used parts from other parts of the country because SGI Salvage cannot meet this new demand.” SAAR also disclosed that it has secured an Eagle MMS account and fully intends to investigate “where BSM and PSM should be” regarding compensation.
HIJACKING INSURANCE RATES
In a recently released report, MyChoice has revealed a possible correlation between carjacking rates across Ontario and recordhigh insurance premiums. The company specifically looked at the carjacking rates across Ontario cities with a population size of over 100,000, and then compared this data to the monthly insurance premiums across these same cities. Brampton, with a population of 603,346, recorded one of the highest carjacking rates at approximately 5.25 incidents per 1,000 residents and it also led with the most expensive car insurance premiums at nearly $2,922 per month. Etobicoke and Scarborough came in second and third, respectively, with theft rates of 4.96 and 3.84, and corresponding insurance rates of approximately $2,030 and $2,710 per month.
