Glossary

This glossary consists of definitions of words and phrases used on icbc.com. Links to detailed information on the site's pages are included with many of the definitions.

Definitions are also accessible in context throughout the site.

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z

Accident Benefits — insurance payments to cover lost wages, medical/rehabilitation expenses, or compensation to the estate of a fatally injured person. Any B.C. resident who is insured will be paid Accident Benefits, regardless of who caused the crash. These benefits apply to passengers, drivers, pedestrians or cyclists struck by a vehicle if anywhere in Canada or the United States. More Information.

Affidavit — a written statement affirmed or sworn by oath before a commissioner for taking affidavits in British Columbia or a notary public, for use as evidence in court.

Altered status (vehicle status code A) — a vehicle without a statement of compliance or vehicle mechanically or structurally altered. The vehicle status code A (Altered vehicle status) is used to identify amalgamated, ubilt, modified motor vehicles, and other altered or constructed vehicles that have met all of the requirements of the Motor Vehicle Act Regulations.

At fault — found responsible. Whenever a claim is made as a result of a crash, the adjuster has to determine who is at fault, or who is to blame. Sometimes fault is shared between parties involved, depending on the circumstances of the crash. The decision is made based on the rules of the road, as set out in the Motor Vehicle Act, and the information available through firsthand reports, police reports, etc. More Information.

At-fault crash — a crash you caused but asked ICBC to pay costs for. Such claims affect your Claim-Rated Scale discount. When costs are relatively low, covering them yourself instead of making a claim may save you money. Ask your ICBC adjuster what would work best for you. More Information.

Basic Autoplan — the minimum amount of insurance any vehicle must carry to legally operate in British Columbia. For more description, see Getting started with Basic Autoplan.

Bodily injury adjuster — an ICBC claims adjuster who has been specially trained to handle bodily injury claims.

Broker — a person licensed to sell insurance. Autoplan brokers are insurance brokers who have been authorized by ICBC to sell Autoplan coverage. More Information.

Certificate of Insurance or Owner's Certificate of Insurance and Vehicle Licence — the top 2/3 of the document you get from your broker when you register, license and insure your vehicle. The signed certificate must be carried in your vehicle as proof that the vehicle is licensed and insured.

Certificate of Registration or Vehicle Registration — the bottom 1/3 of the document you get from your broker when you register, license and insure your vehicle. The signed certificate must be carried in your vehicle as proof that the vehicle is registered. If you sell your vehicle, you must give this certificate to the buyer.

Chargeable claim — any Collision or Third Party Liability claim where you are deemed more than 25% at fault. A chargeable claim will affect your position on the Claim-Rated Scale (in other words, your discount or your surcharge). Claim-Rated Scale information.

Claims adjuster — The employee at any ICBC claim centre whose job is to examine your claim and negotiate a settlement with you.
Collision insurance — a policy promising to cover the cost of repairing or replacing your own crash-related vehicle damage when you are in a collision with another vehicle, person, or object. More Information.
Compensable claim — A claim for which a person is entitled to receive compensation. Some claims made to ICBC do not qualify for compensation. More information.

Comprehensive insurance — a policy promising to pay for damage to your car from a cause other than collision: for example, windshield damage, and loss or damage caused by fire, theft, or vandalism. More Information.

Contingency fee — A lawyer acting for a claimant may take a percentage of any settlement or judgment award as his or her fee.

Conveyance — a means of transporting something. The term is usually applied to a vehicle such as a bus, car, or truck. It could also apply to a ferry carrying a vehicle.

Courtesy car — a car lent or rented to you to use while your car is being repaired.
Crash Responsibility Charge — a charge of up to $250 you must pay if you are responsible for a crash or collision that damages another vehicle or someone else's property.This charge is over and above your deductible. It applies only to crashes that happened prior to September 1, 2000. More Information.
Custom paint finish — paint finish other than the general class of finish applied by the manufacturer of the vehicle. Examples are pin-striping, lettering and sign painting. These are not included in coverage.

Daily rental rate — the daily rate charged for a rental vehicle. Taxes, gas charges, additional mileage costs, and any other charges do not count as part of the daily rental rate. More information
Declared Value vehicles — vehicles with so many possible combinations of optional or customized features that they cannot be clustered in rate groups. Examples are trailers, limousines and replicars. On such vehicles, the premiums for Autoplan Collision, Comprehensive and Specified Perils coverage must be reckoned by individual vehicle, a pricing system called Declared Value.
Deductible — the amount you have to pay towards repairs or costs before your insurance kicks in to pay for the rest. More information.

Defendant — A person who is sued or accused in a court of law.

Depreciation — loss in value. A vehicle, or a part of a vehicle such as a battery, loses value as it ages, especially in the first few years after it is bought.

Dial-A-Claim operators — the skilled insurance adjusters who accept your call when you decide to file a claim with ICBC. ICBC's helpful Dial-A-Claim adjusters are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They will help you record the details of your claim and will refer you, if necessary, to a convenient claim centre.

Disbursements — Expenditures of money. When lawyers charge clients for disbursements, they seek to recover costs for expenses such as photocopying, long-distance phone charges, etc.

Employed person — in claims language, someone who had a job on the date of the crash. You are also considered an employed person if you didn't have a job on the date of the crash but worked in at least 6 of the 12 months preceding it.

Fifth wheel — a coupling attached to a vehicle used for towing a trailer. A fifth wheel resembles a horizontal turntable and is sometimes used in the bed of a pick-up truck, for example, to tow a large camper trailer.

Full-privilege licence — a driver's licence that is free of the added restrictions normally associated with the learner and novice stage of the driver licensing process. More Information.

Industrial roads — those roads used to transport natural resources, machinery, materials and/or personnel. A logging road is considered an industrial road.
Industrial roads include all private bridges, wharves and log dumps.

Jurisdiction — a legal area, such as a province or state. When we say "other jurisdictions," we mean provinces or states outside of British Columbia.

Justice of the Peace — a local public official appointed to hear minor cases, take oaths, etc. In B.C., Justices of the Peace are often located at provincial Court offices. More Information.

L sign — a sign which alerts others that you're a new driver so they can give you more space. It must be an official L sign issued by ICBC. You must display the official L (Learner) sign where it is clearly visible to drivers behind you: More Information.

on your rear windshield, inside or outside, or

elsewhere outside your vehicle, at the back

L sign: motorcycles — a sign which alerts others that you're a new rider so they can give you more space. You must display an L (Learner) sign on the rear of your motorcycle or on your clothing so that drivers behind you can see it when you're riding. It must be an offical L sign issued by ICBC. More Information.

Lessee — the person or company that leases a vehicle from a car dealer, leasing company or other lessor. A lease must have a fixed term of at least one month.

Liability —legal responsibility. If you are at fault for a crash, you (or your insurance) may be held legally liable or responsible for the costs incurred. These may include bodily injury or property damage, or both, suffered by the other party. More information.

Lienholder — anyone with a financial interest in a vehicle, such as a bank, another lender or repair facility. More Information.

Litigation — The process of carrying on a lawsuit.

Manufacturer's equipment — equipment that is available from the manufacturer as standard or optional equipment at the time the vehicle is manufactured.

Medical practitioner — a person entitled to practise under the Medical Practitioners Act in B.C. or a similar law in another jurisdiction.

Member of your household — anyone who ordinarily resides in the same dwelling unit as you.

Missile — an object or weapon used for throwing, hurling, or shooting. Included are stones, bullets, and arrows.

Motor vehicle — For the purposes of vehicle registration, a motor vehicle means a vehicle, not run on rails, that is designed to be self-propelled or propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires, but does not include a motor assisted cycle. A motor vehicle has an engine, frame and body, and is recognizable as a car, truck, bus, or motorcycle.

Multiple Crash Premium (MCP) — a penalty for drivers who cause lots of crashes. If you are found 50% or more at fault for 3 crashes within a 3-year period, you will be charged an MCP of $1,000. For each additional at-fault crash within the 3 years, there is another fee of $500. More Information.

N sign — a sign which lets other motorists know that you're a novice driver so they can give you more space on the road. Its use should help reduce your risk of crashing while you're still gaining skills and experience. Remember: police reports show that new drivers are almost twice as likely as more experienced drivers to cause a collision in their first two years of driving. You must display the official N sign where it is clearly visible to drivers behind you:

on your rear windshield, inside or outside, or

elsewhere outside your vehicle, at the back

More Information.

N sign: motorcycles — a sign which lets other motorists know that you're a novice driver so they can give you more space on the road. Its use should help reduce your risk of crashing while you're still gaining skills and experience. Remember: police reports show that new drivers are almost twice as likely as more experienced motorists to cause a collision in their first two years of driving. You must display the N (Novice) sign on the rear of your motorcycle or on your clothing so that drivers behind you can see it when you're riding. It must be an official N sign issued by ICBC. More Information.

Net wage loss — Typically, gross income lost, minus liability for taxes and Employment Insurance premiums. For example, a gross income of $60,000 per year, reduced by taxes of $20,000 and E.I. premiums of $1,000, would produce a net income of $39,000. Therefore, in this example, someone not able to work for a year would have suffered a $39,000 net wage loss.

Offence — an illegal act; a violation of law.

Own Damage coverage — protection against your own vehicle-related losses where they are not the fault of another motorist from whom you can recover damages. Such protection is provided by Collision, Comprehensive or Specified Perils coverage. This coverage is not included in Autoplan Basic Insurance and must be purchased separately as optional coverage. For protection against harm or damage you may cause against others, you must purchase Third Party Liability Insurance.

Permanently attached — fixed to a permanently attached part of the vehicle by such items as bolts, screws, cements, fluxes or heat. For attachment or removal, these items would require the use of wrenches, screwdrivers, drills, pliers, acetylene torches, blowtorches, steamers or solvents.

ICBC does not consider items to be "permanently attached" if they are attached only by such easily removed items as:

Velcro-type fasteners

Staples

Zip fasteners

Locks (other than those requiring keys or combinations)

Wing nuts

Wires

Snap fasteners

Suction devices

Hooks

Magnets

Buttons

Pins (other than cotter pins)

Pins (other than cotter pins)

Vice grips

Clamps

Chains which are permanently attached to the vehicle, or chains which are not permanently attached to the vehicle.

Personalized plates — licence plates that you can order with chosen lettering. More Information.

Plaintiff — A person who sues someone else in court.

Policy — a contract between the insurance company and you, stating the terms and conditions. You're called "the insured" in the language of a policy.

Premium — the amount of money you pay to the insurance company for your coverage. All premiums are pooled by the insurance company, which then uses that money to pay out claims. More Information.

Principal operator — The person who drives a vehicle the majority of the time it is in use.

Private vehicle — a vehicle operated by its owner for non-commercial purposes.

Rate class — an insurance category, based on how your vehicle is used, which partly determines what your insurance will cost you. More Information.

Rate group — a numerical value assigned to a vehicle based on its expected claims costs. This projection is based on a number of factors including body style, horsepower, costs of repairs, frequency and costs of actual claims, and vehicle price. The higher the expected claims costs, the higher the rate group and therefore the higher the insurance premium charged.

Removable equipment — equipment designed to be removed from the vehicle for operation in another location. Removable equipment is not covered by ICBC Own Damage (Comprehensive or Specified Perils) insurance.

Replacement tires — tires of the size and type specified by the vehicle manufacturer.

Right of way — The right of a vehicle to take precedence over another vehicle by custom, decision or law. In British Columbia, the Motor Vehicle Act contains the laws that govern how we should drive and who has to yield the right-of-way.

Risk — the chance of financial loss.

RoadStar — a vehicle owner who has kept his or her insurance record claim-free above base level for more than 9 consecutive years, having had no at-fault or chargeable claims during that time. More Information.

RoadStar Gold — a vehicle owner who has kept his or her insurance record claim-free above base level for more than 15 years, having had no at-fault or chargeable claims during that time. More Information.

Shuttle mount — a device, permanently attached to a motor vehicle, that enables sound and communication equipment to be used in the vehicle but removed without tools for storage elsewhere. Equipment designed to be removed from the vehicle for operation in a location other than another motor vehicle is NOT covered by auto insurance. For example, a shuttle-mounted device that can operate in a boat, or a summer cabin, is not covered.

Six month payment plan — a financial agreement set up with ICBC that enables customers to finance their Autoplan policy for 6 months in monthly payments. See monthly payments for more details on how to apply.

Customers who have just finished two years on a cash-only basis with ICBC or who do not have a recent history with ICBC or an active BC driver's licence are eligible for a six month payment plan.

Spouses — married partners, and common-law partners (including same-gender partners) who have lived together for at least 2 continuous years.

Supervisor — an adult supervisor of learning drivers who:

must be 19 or older (25 or older for learners in graduated licensing) and

hold a valid B.C. licence to drive a:

passenger vehicle (Class 5) or

commercial vehicle (Class 1, 2, 3 or 4)

Surcharge — an extra charge added to the base price of something.

12 month payment plan — a financial agreement set up with ICBC that enables customers to pay for their annual Autoplan policy in monthly payments. See monthly payments for more details on how to apply.

Third Party Liability — your risk of being sued by someone: in legal terms, some third "party" in addition to you (first party) and your insurer (second party). When someone talks about a third-party claim against you, that means you are being sued by a person who holds you responsible for injuring them or damaging their property. The person suing can be your own passenger in a crash you caused. The damage you cause to another person - the third party - is covered under Third Party Liability insurance. More Information.

Temporary Operation Permit or TOP — a vehicle operation permit purchased to provide insurance and licensing for 15 days or less.

Total loss or write-off — a vehicle that is not repaired because it will cost more to repair than the vehicle is worth, or cannot be repaired well enough for safe operation. More Information.

Transfer/tax form — a form available from your Autoplan broker that you must fill out when buying or selling a vehicle. Both buyer and seller must sign it. More Information.
Underinsured Motorist Protection or UMP — insurance that covers you for bodily injury or death in a crash where the at-fault driver or vehicle owner does not have enough insurance to cover the damages awarded to you. More Information.
Vehicle ("Motor Vehicle") — For the purposes of vehicle registration, a motor vehicle means a vehicle, not run on rails, that is designed to be self-propelled or propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires, but does not include a motor assisted cycle. A motor vehicle has an engine, frame and body, and is recognizable as a car, truck, bus, or motorcycle.

Vehicle Identification Number or VIN — a number assigned by the manufacturer and unique to every vehicle. It can be found on the dashboard identification plate, on the doorpost, and on the engine firewall. Since 1981, the VIN has been 17 characters long.

Void — Invalid, not binding.

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