Circular Letter No. 14 (2009)
June 5, 2009
TO: |
All Insurers Authorized to Write Motor Vehicle Insurance in New York State, Rate Service Organizations, New York Automobile Insurance Plan and Insurance Producer Organizations |
RE: |
Accident Prevention Course Providers; Newly Approved Internet/Alternate Delivery Method Point and Insurance Reduction Program (I-PIRP); Notice Requirements |
STATUTORY REFERENCE: New York Insurance Law § 2336(a) and (d)
This Circular Letter supersedes Circular Letters No. 25 (1998); Circular Letter No. 3 (2002); Circular Letter No. 20 (2003); Supplement No. 1 to Circular Letter No. 29 (2003) dated August 31, 2005; Circular Letter No. 19 (2005) and Circular Letter No 21 (2006), which are hereby withdrawn.
The purpose of this Circular Letter is to inform insurers, agents and brokers of the new Internet/Alternate Delivery Method Point and Insurance Reduction Program (I-PIRP) made available by the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Previously, DMV only approved classroom-based accident prevention courses (APC); the new I-PIRP allows for an APC delivered through the Internet or another alternate delivery method approved by DMV.
To qualify for the statutorily mandated APC discount per New York Insurance Law § 2336, a course must be approved by DMV. As of May 18, 2009, the DMV has approved four I-PIRP (internet based) course providers.
Please refer to the DMV website at https://transact.dmv.ny.gov/pirp/ for the complete listing of all classroom-based and internet/alternate delivery method course providers, and for any future revisions or additions to the list of approved providers.
Insurers should revise their notices that they furnish to insureds about these courses to reflect the addition of the approved I-PIRP courses, including the proper names, addresses and telephone numbers of the organizations sponsoring the courses available to the general public. The literature also should include a reference to the DMV webpage, https://transact.dmv.ny.gov/pirp/, for current listings of approved course providers. Insurers should furnish this revised notice to all insureds with new policies no later than August 1, 2009, and to all other insureds, with their renewal or billing notice, on or after September 1, 2009. Companies should review the DMV listings of approved providers at least annually, and update the notices furnished to insureds accordingly.
Very truly yours,
_______________________________
Michael Moriarty
Deputy Superintendent
Property and Capital Markets Bureaus