Save on Ontario Car Insurance 

The cost of car insurance in Ontario varies significantly, and the best way to determine how much car insurance will cost you is to compare rates. Every driver’s situation is unique, and by comparing quotes tailored specifically for you, you’ll not only see how much it will cost you to insure your car but you’ll also see how much you can save!

There’s a lot you can do to ensure that you’re getting the best price for your auto insurance.

• Shop around - Rates often change. In Ontario, rate changes are approved every 3 months. Sometimes a few insurers change their rates, but other times dozens do. 
• Increase your deductibles - Save five to 10 per cent by increasing your deductibles to $1,000 if they’re currently sitting at $500.
• Pay your premiums all at once - Pay your premiums annually, instead of monthly, to avoid administrative fees that often come with monthly payments.
• Bundle your policies - Save five to 15 per cent when you buy your home insurance from the same company that covers your car.
• Insure all vehicles, together - If you have more than one set of wheels, save up to 10 to 20 per cent by insuring them on the same policy.
• Change your tires seasonally - In Ontario, if you have—and install—winter tires, you will qualify for a discount of up to five per cent.
• Review your policy annually - Each year, review your optional coverages. If they’re no longer needed, this is one way to shave off some costs.
• Ask about discounts - There are oodles of discounts. Ask your provider about the ones they offer. You never know what you might find.
• School’s cool - Encourage young drivers to take driver’s training. The insurance savings typically offsets the cost of the course, in the first year.

Most of what you’ll need to get a quote, you’ll know off the top of your head. For example, the make, model and year of the vehicle you drive. Additional information you’ll be asked about includes: 

• The type of licence you hold and how long you’ve had it 
  
• How long you’ve been insured 
  
• Any tickets or accidents you may have on your driving or insurance history 

If you don’t know exact dates or details, your best estimate will do initially. But remember, the rates are only as accurate as the details you provide, so if any information changes, your rate may change too. 

No matter where you are in Canada, if you plan to drive you must have auto insurance. But, while this law is consistent coast-to-coast, how you get the coverage you need is not. 

In Ontario, drivers must purchase coverage from a private insurance company (the same is true in Alberta, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador). 

The Quebec auto insurance model is a bit different; some components of a Quebec driver’s coverage are rolled into their driver’s licence and vehicle registration fees, while other components must be purchased from a private insurer. 

In British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, coverage must be purchased through a government-run agency. 

Ontario is a no-fault insurance province, and while this might sound like it means no one will be found at fault in the event of a collision, it really means something altogether different. 

What no-fault actually means is if you are injured in an accident or your vehicle is damaged, then you deal with your own insurance company when making a claim. By going through your own insurer, you get the financial help you need right away—whether it’s for injuries you sustained or for fixing your damaged vehicle—instead of waiting for your insurer and the other drivers’ insurers to decide who was to blame for the incident before paying out benefits. 

Ontario’s standard auto insurance policy is made up of four mandatory components, however, there are optional coverages that you can add in too. 

The most popular optional coverages are collision and comprehensive; both will pay to fix your vehicle if damaged. Collision will pay for damages resulting from an accident, while comprehensive will pay for damages caused by things like hail, theft, or vandalism. 

Mandatory Ontario car insurance

Every Ontario auto insurance policy includes the following various types of mandatory car insurance coverages: 

• Third-party liability - Will pay for the outcome of a lawsuit against you in the event that you cause injury or death to, or damage the property of, a third party. 
• Statutory Accident Benefits - These are benefits that will pay for things like medical treatments, income replacement and attendant care if you are injured in a car accident. 
• Direct Compensation-Property Damage - Covers damage to your vehicle or its contents, and for loss of use of your vehicle or its contents, if another person was at fault for the accident. 
• Uninsured Automobile - Protects you and your family in the event of a hit-and-run or an uninsured motorist injuring you or causing your death. 

There are a lot of factors that go into what you pay for your car insurance coverage like:

• Where you live
• The type of vehicle you drive
• Your driving and insurance history
• The coverage options you choose to include on your policy
  

There is no doubt about it; Ontario car insurance is expensive. According to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), auto insurance rates in Ontario are 45 per cent higher than in Alberta, and about twice as high as the Maritime provinces. One of the main culprits often blamed for the high rates we pay is the prevalence of insurance fraud that drives up claims costs. 

There’s no one insurance company that offers everyone the best rates. Auto insurance premiums for the exact same coverage can vary substantially from one insurance company to another for a variety of reasons. It all depends on things like the insurer’s claims experience and how they rate you as a driver. To find the company that offers you the best rate and coverage, you’ll have to shop around and compare quotes. 

Auto insurance rates often change, and it usually boils down to the insurance company’s claims costs. When claims costs go up (or down), typically premiums will follow. There are other factors too, like the introduction of new discounts (e.g. winter tire discount) or when benefit coverages or options change, to name just a few recent examples. 

Ontario auto insurance companies cannot increase, or decrease, their rates on a whim. The Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO), a regulatory agency of the Ministry of Finance, must approve changes to auto insurance rates. Every three months, FSCO releases the rate changes they’ve approved, and while sometimes only a handful of insurers change their rate, other times many do. 

“Consumers are urged to shop around for auto insurance,” says FSCO every quarter in its report. “Ontario has a very competitive marketplace.”

Any time Ontario auto insurance rates change is an opportunity to save money on your premiums. Rates do not uniformly increase, or decrease, across the board. That’s why it’s important to compare rates regularly. Don’t wait until it’s time to renew to see if you could be saving money. Compare rates, at minimum on renewal, but also when your marital status changes, you move, or buy a new car.