On February 24, 2023 under the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation Act, the Driver Safety Rating System Regulation was amended.

The amendments included increasing the merit level from 16+ to 17+, in the definitions and under section 4 the driver safety rating scale. repealing section 5(4) and adding the following after rule 3:

3.1 In determining or adjusting a person’s driver safety rating, the corporation must, (a) if the person experienced a conviction or other event outside Manitoba that the registrar considers to be equivalent to a conviction or other event that is prescribed as an input factor in the Table of Input Factors; or (b) if the person experienced a conviction under an enactment of Canada other than the Criminal Code that the registrar considers to be equivalent to a conviction that is prescribed as an input factor in the Table of Input Factors; treat the conviction or other event as an input factor, assign the person demerits in relation to it in accordance with that table and move the person down the driver safety rating scale the appropriate number of demerit levels.

“Merit level” in relation to the driver safety rating scale which means a level in the positive range of the scale from the +1 to +16. The driver safety rating scale a person’s driving safety rating must be rated on an incremental scale of levels from +17 to -20.

REPEALED Section 5(4) The registrar may consider a conviction or other event that occurs outside Manitoba as equivalent to a conviction or other event set out in the Table of Input Factors for the purpose of determining a person’s driver safety rating.

Every year the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation sends a notice to Manitoba drivers showing where they are on the Driver Rating Scale (DRS) and the amount the driver owes for the upcoming year. Insurance premiums are adjusted based on their DSR level from the past year. If the driver year of safe driving without any claims, convictions, or suspensions, the driver will move up one level on the DSR. However, high-risk driving, traffic convictions, at-fault claims or alcohol- or drug-related administrative suspensions, will move the driver down the scale. Moving down the scale means higher premiums. For example, if a driver with an active licence who was at level -20 will move up the scale by seven levels for one year of safe driving.

Source: Manitoba (14/2023), February 24, 2023.