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No fault for thieves nixed

The denizens of the Saskatchewan Legislature participated in a crucial little tidbit of law making earlier this month to ensure car thieves cannot benefit from SGI's no fault auto insurance.

The denizens of the Saskatchewan Legislature participated in a crucial little tidbit of law making earlier this month to ensure car thieves cannot benefit from SGI's no fault auto insurance.

That's certainly a huge relief for all of us who must rely on SGI for auto injury coverage, but probably more than a few were shocked to learn that, up until the amended legislation was adopted, those injured while in the act of car theft were covered by the insurance plan.

That was certainly taking the entire concept of "no fault" to the extreme.

Under the new legislation, anyone convicted of stealing a vehicle involved in a carsh, or convicted of possession of a stolen vehicle involved in a collision, will not have access to any auto injury benefits through SGI. This includes benefits such as income replacement, rehabilitation or a lump-sum payment if they suffer a permanent impairment such as scarring or loss of a limb.

It's doubtful wannabe car thieves will stop and think, "hmm, if I rip off this poor innocent person's car and then get in a crash while the cops are chasing me, I won't have any insurance. Maybe this isn't such a great idea after all."

But the fact such miscreants can no longer piggyback on the premiums of law-abiding SGI customers will help me sleep better at night.