SGI wants to track motorcycle movements with technology

With an eye to calibrating insurance rates, Saskatchewan Government Insurance plans to use new technology to track how fast and how far motorycles go.

It's called telematics and someday could be used to help set insurance rates.

For now, SGI is just trying the technology out with a pilot program.

It's looking for several hundred motorcycle users to volunteer to have their bikes equipped with telematics technology. The gadgets would record speed, braking, mileage and location.

The volunteer riders wouldhaveweekly updates on their driving behaviour, to show them what information SGI would be looking at.

"Usage-based insurance is the ultimate in rating fairness because it essentially lets the driver control their own insurance rate through their driving behaviour," the minister responsible for SGI, Donna Harpauer, said in a news release. "Simply put, those who drive responsibly pay less and those who don't pay more."

However, no one's rates will be affected by the pilot program, the company says.

Review committee approved tracking idea

The experiment is one of the ideas coming out of the Motorcycle Review Committee.

That group formed in the wake of a storm of controversy over proposed motorcycle rate increases.

SGI had proposed boosting motorcycle rates an average of 75 per cent to compensate for high injury claims. The company said that car drivers'insurance premiumswere essentially subsidizing motorcycle riders and a "rebalancing" was needed.

After there was a huge outcry from riders, Premier Brad Wall got involved.

Government-owned SGI later withdrew its proposal and came back with some milder proposed increases for motorbikes.

The telematics pilot program could begin as early as this season, SGI says.