Albertans no longer required to report collisions when damages under $5,000.00

Saving drivers and law enforcement time

Alberta’s government is cutting red tape and saving Albertans time by increasing the property damage collision reporting threshold to $5,000 from $2,000.

To better reflect current vehicle repair costs, effective Jan. 1, drivers will not have to report property damage from a collision to law enforcement unless the cost of the damage is more than $5,000. The new $5,000 threshold was a carefully chosen figure to reduce reporting minor collisions while also making it difficult for fraudulent resales of damaged vehicles.

This change will also free up law enforcement, who are required to commit a significant number of policing resources for processing collision reports. With this change, police officers and administrative staff can spend more time improving public safety.

“Traffic accidents happen. Alberta is saving drivers time and money by not having them report simple fender-benders to the police. Thousands of traffic accident reports clog up our justice system and strains police resources. This is a common-sense change that will benefit drivers and police.”

Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors

“We continue to cut red tape by increasing the collision reporting threshold. Waiting in line to file a report is stressful, time-consuming and takes you away from your work and family. This change will alleviate that stress and get you back on the road faster.”

Dale Nally, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction

Collisions resulting in injuries and fatalities will continue to be reported regardless of the estimated cost of property damage repairs. Future increases to the collision reporting threshold will be adjusted for inflation based on annual calculations using the Statistics Canada consumer price index, further reducing red tape and time spent by Albertans reporting low dollar value collisions.

“AACP is supportive of increasing the threshold for the reporting of property damage collisions to police. These increases better reflect modern vehicle repair and replacement costs and will result in less minor, non-injury collisions having to be reported to police.”

Mark Neufeld, president, Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police

“This increase to the damage reporting threshold aligns with a resolution Alberta Municipalities members passed at our 2023 convention. We are pleased to see the provincial government take action on this issue.”

Tyler Gandam, president, Alberta Municipalities

The carrier collision reporting threshold will be increased to match the collision reporting threshold of $5,000. Commercial carriers will save time by no longer having to go through an administrative process to eliminate low dollar value property damage collisions from their carrier profile.

“This is excellent news for the transportation mobility industry. We welcome the Alberta government’s move to increase the collision reporting threshold, as it will cut red tape and save time for transportation mobility providers and Alberta consumers.”

Craig Hirota, vice-president, Associated Canadian Car Rental Operators

Alberta last increased its property damage collision reporting threshold to $2,000 from $1,000 on Jan. 1, 2011, and implemented the commercial carrier reporting threshold ($1,000) in 2009.

Quick facts

In 2021, there were 89,976 property damage-only collisions reported by law enforcement.
On average, about 90 per cent of all collisions only involve property damage.
Data from the Insurance Bureau of Canada shows that in 2022, the average property damage collision claim in Alberta was $6,756.

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“Today was an important win for Canada and Alberta, as it appears the United States has decided to uphold the majority of the free trade agreement (CUSMA) between our two nations. It also appears this will continue to be the case until after the Canadian federal election has concluded and the newly elected Canadian government is able to renegotiate CUSMA with the U.S. administration.

“This is precisely what I have been advocating for from the U.S. administration for months.

“It means that the majority of goods sold into the United States from Canada will have no tariffs applied to them, including zero per cent tariffs on energy, minerals, agricultural products, uranium, seafood, potash and host of other Canadian goods.

“There is still work to be done, of course. Unfortunately, tariffs previously announced by the United States on Canadian automobiles, steel and aluminum have not been removed. The efforts of premiers and the federal government should therefore shift towards removing or significantly reducing these remaining tariffs as we go forward and ensuring affected workers across Canada are generously supported until the situation is resolved.

“I again call on all involved in our national advocacy efforts to focus on diplomacy and persuasion while avoiding unnecessary escalation. Clearly, this strategy has been the most effective to this point.

“As it appears the worst of this tariff dispute is behind us (though there is still work to be done), it is my sincere hope that we, as Canadians, can abandon the disastrous policies that have made Canada vulnerable to and overly dependent on the United States, fast-track national resource corridors, get out of the way of provincial resource development and turn our country into an independent economic juggernaut and energy superpower.”

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Energy sector will fuel Alberta economy and Canada’s exports for many years to come

Published on April 2, 2025

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From the Fraser Institute

By Jock Finlayson

By any measure, Alberta is an energy powerhouse—within Canada, but also on a global scale. In 2023, it produced 85 per cent of Canada’s oil and three-fifths of the country’s natural gas. Most of Canada’s oil reserves are in Alberta, along with a majority of natural gas reserves. Alberta is the beating heart of the Canadian energy economy. And energy, in turn, accounts for one-quarter of Canada’s international exports.

Consider some key facts about the province’s energy landscape, as noted in the Alberta Energy Regulator’s (AER) 2023 annual report. Oil and natural gas production continued to rise (on a volume basis) in 2023, on the heels of steady increases over the preceding half decade. However, the dollar value of Alberta’s oil and gas production fell in 2023, as the surging prices recorded in 2022 following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine retreated. Capital spending in the province’s energy sector reached $30 billion in 2023, making it the leading driver of private-sector investment. And completion of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project has opened new offshore export avenues for Canada’s oil industry and should boost Alberta’s energy production and exports going forward.

In a world striving to address climate change, Alberta’s hydrocarbon-heavy energy sector faces challenges. At some point, the world may start to consume less oil and, later, less natural gas (in absolute terms). But such “peak” consumption hasn’t arrived yet, nor does it appear imminent. While the demand for certain refined petroleum products is trending down in some advanced economies, particularly in Europe, we should take a broader global perspective when assessing energy demand and supply trends.

Looking at the worldwide picture, Goldman Sachs’ 2024 global energy forecast predicts that “oil usage will increase through 2034” thanks to strong demand in emerging markets and growing production of petrochemicals that depend on oil as the principal feedstock. Global demand for natural gas (including LNG) will also continue to increase, particularly since natural gas is the least carbon-intensive fossil fuel and more of it is being traded in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Against this backdrop, there are reasons to be optimistic about the prospects for Alberta’s energy sector, particularly if the federal government dials back some of the economically destructive energy and climate policies adopted by the last government. According to the AER’s “base case” forecast, overall energy output will expand over the next 10 years. Oilsands output is projected to grow modestly; natural gas production will also rise, in part due to greater demand for Alberta’s upstream gas from LNG operators in British Columbia.

The AER’s forecast also points to a positive trajectory for capital spending across the province’s energy sector. The agency sees annual investment rising from almost $30 billion to $40 billion by 2033. Most of this takes place in the oil and gas industry, but “emerging” energy resources and projects aimed at climate mitigation are expected to represent a bigger slice of energy-related capital spending going forward.

Like many other oil and gas producing jurisdictions, Alberta must navigate the bumpy journey to a lower-carbon future. But the world is set to remain dependent on fossil fuels for decades to come. This suggests the energy sector will continue to underpin not only the Alberta economy but also Canada’s export portfolio for the foreseeable future.