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Ontario Car Insurance
Best car insurance quotes in Ontario
Your vehicle is part of your lifestyle – protect your automobile with auto insurance that is tailored to your specific needs. On top of being a legal requirement, auto insurance protects you and your loved ones in the event of an accident.
The cost of your auto insurance in Ontario is determined by a number of factors and depending on your circumstances, you may need more than what is listed as standard coverage. This is where our expert brokers are here to help! They can help you understand provincial regulations to ensure your vehicle is properly insured.
Contact one of our experienced Acera Insurance advisors today for more details on how to find a car insurance policy that suits your needs. If you are aware of what you may need and are ready to begin the process, apply for your very own free car insurance quotes online with Acera Insurance.
Understanding Ontario Auto Insurance
What is car insurance & how does it protect me?
Car insurance is designed to safeguard yourself, your passengers, others on the road (including pedestrians), and your vehicle from losses and injury. Regardless of how you use your vehicle, auto insurance in Ontario is mandatory and you can face significant fines if you are caught driving without it.
With years of experience, our knowledgeable team will work with you to help you find the best car and auto insurance that suits your needs as an Ontario driver. Whether you only use your vehicle for commuting to work, have to drive kids around the city to hockey practice, or are driving professionally for work, whatever the level of auto insurance coverage you require, our car insurance brokers are here to help make sense of it all. Better yet, you can even save by bundling your car and home insurance policies together – just be sure to ask your broker how you can save by combining policies today!
Is car insurance in Ontario mandatory?
In short, yes. Car insurance is mandatory for all Ontario drivers. This law is to reinforce safety on the roads, and to also provide peace of mind in knowing that other drivers out there on the roads also have auto insurance coverage, just as you do. However, no two drivers are the same, so why should their car insurance policies be? Which is why our team of expert auto insurance brokers in Ontario will help you find the right auto coverage you need, to suit your specific requirements out there on the roads.
Types of Car Insurance in Ontario
Bodily Injury/Property Damage Liability
This type of auto insurance protects you, as well as any legally licensed person driving your car with permission, against lawsuits or legal action resulting from the use of the insured vehicle.
Accident Benefits
Provides benefits that you and other insured persons are entitled to receive in the event of an automobile accident causing injury or death. Includes payments for reasonable medical expenses, income replacement, caregiver expenses, rehabilitation expenses and other expenses resulting from an auto accident.
Collision Coverage
Collision coverage is a form of optional protection on your auto insurance policy. Imagine a situation where you come in to contact with another vehicle, or even an object such as a street sign or garage door. With this coverage, the cost to repair or even replace your vehicle would be covered – after you’ve paid your deductible, of course.
Comprehensive Coverage
Comprehensive coverage is similar to collision coverage. This is an optional coverage that you can add to your auto policy to enhance its existing protection against potential risks and losses. Comprehensive coverage is designed to protect your vehicle from physical damages unrelated to collisions. This can be car theft or attempted theft (vandalism), damages from falling objects, damages from animals, fire, flooding, lightning and windstorms. This coverage is also subject to a deductible, which you’ll need to pay before repairs are covered by your insurer.
Usage-Based Auto Insurance
Telematics are changing traditional auto insurance policies.
Looking for a more affordable alternative to car insurance in Ontario? Haven’t heard about how you can save on your Ontario auto insurance with telematics? Don’t worry; you’re not the only one. Telematics, or usage-based insurance (UBI), involves plugging a wireless device into your car to gauge your driving habits. Connecting your my Drive program device is as easy as finding your on-board diagnostics (OBD) port, which is usually under the dashboard, close to the steering column, at about the level of your feet.
By participating in the my Drive program offered by Intact, you will be monitored for the following:
- Sudden braking
- Abrupt acceleration
- Time and distance driven
This data will be used to determine your personalized discount. This not only rewards good drivers with lower insurance rates but encourages better driving habits. Clients who enroll in the my Drive program will save five per cent immediately on their auto insurance with Intact and up to 25 per cent at the time of their next renewal, depending on driving behaviour.
Additional Coverage Options
Loss of Use
Provides a specified limit for a rental vehicle while your vehicle is not in use as a result of a collision or comprehensive claim.
Increased Accident Benefits
Standard policy limits may not adequately protect you and your family. An Acera Insurance professional can determine if increasing limits are right for you.
Non-Owned Automobile Extension
Covers for physical damage to a rental vehicle for you and other insureds.
Accident Protection Waiver
Protects your driving record and policy rating in case you are involved in an at-fault auto accident.
Why select Acera Insurance for your Ontario car insurance?
Acera Insurance, as one of Ontario’s largest independently owned insurance brokers, has over 60 years experience servicing its clients. Our Ontario auto insurance products and the services that we offer are backed by a team of dedicated car insurance professionals, who have expertise training that goes beyond your average “insurance expert.” It’s our duty to consistently create innovate solutions that expand beyond traditional insurance services, so that we can accurately respond to the ever shifting and changing needs of our clients.
Our Ontario car insurance brokers are second-to-none. You can let us the work for you while you rest easy. The right insurance protection doesn’t come easy, but we’re happy to do the job.
In addition to competitive auto insurance quotes and rates that recognize client differences, Acera Insurance in Ontario offers access to a variety of discounts and credits designed to reduce your car insurance costs, including:
- Multi-car discount
- Experienced driver discount
- Driver training credits
- Good student discount
- Short commute/low mileage discount
- Snow tire discount
- Conviction-free discount
Talk to your broker about how you can potentially bundle your auto and home insurance for even greater savings, convenience and simplicity.
Ontario Car insurance FAQs
Car insurance is mandatory, so there is no getting around it if you drive and should be built into your vehicle budget like gas, car maintenance and car payments. Ultimately, having a car is a matter of managing your financial responsibilities.
When it comes to auto insurance, having a better understanding of what your policy includes helps you to make small alterations that can lead to more affordable coverage. By working with our experienced brokers, we can be sure to get you the best rates available.
Accidents are unfortunate but they do happen. It’s understandable if you’re stressed out in an accident and unsure of what to do next, but our team at Acera Insurance has your back. First of all, stay calm. Check to see if you or your passengers are injured and try to determine the extent of the damage. If your car can be moved, pull it to the side of the road and turn on its hazard lights. If you estimate the damages to be more than $2,000, or anyone was injured in the accident, call 911. You can ask them if police presence is required. If it isn’t, file the accident at your nearest police station as soon as possible.
Never admit fault or liability following an accident. Saying things like “I’m sorry!” or an immediate excuse can count as fault/liability. Exchange any necessary info with the other driver, such as names, insurance info, plate number, driver’s licence and so on.
Record all factors surrounding the incident, such as weather conditions, what cars were doing, and take photos.
Avoid discussing insurance limits and do not accept any monetary compensation from an at-fault driver. Once it is safe and everything has been figured out, call your insurance company and begin the process of getting back to normal.
Your driving record is one of the first things that insurers will look at when calculating your insurance rates, so it’s something you’ll want to manage with caution. Ultimately, your best bet to keeping yourself and your vehicle safe and your driving record clean is to adhere to the following safety tips.
For your car:
- Always keep windshield wiper fluid stocked up, especially in the spring.
- Regularly service your car.
- Equip snow tires before the winter season hits and change them out for summer tires once the snow has melted for good.
- Replace any worn wiper blades with fresh, new ones.
- Replace all worn headlight bulbs.
- Do regular oil changes.
- Check the battery regularly.
- Inspect the hoses regularly.
For you:
- Never drive fatigued or under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol.
- Put your cellphone where you cannot access it while you drive to avoid distracted driving. Just one text message can cause you to take your eyes off the road long enough to rear-end the car in front of you.
- Keep distractions to a minimum, like changing radio stations, talking to passengers, or searching the console for buttons. If you really need something, ask your passenger to do it or, if you are alone, pull over and take the time to do it safely.
- Always wear your seatbelt. Seatbelts save lives!
- Check the road conditions to prepare yourself for any potential weather conditions. If it seems too dangerous, it might be a day to work from home or re-book your plans for another day.
- Always leave a 3-6 second gap between you and the car ahead of you.
- Be mindful of pedestrians and wildlife crossing.
- Always make sure your taillights and headlights are working so that you stay visible.
It is easier to tweak little aspects of your driving or your coverage to your advantage than it is to make significant changes to your position to get lower vehicle insurance. Our Ontario brokers have some great tips on saving costs. See here:
- Select a higher deductible, so long as it’s financially reasonable to do so and you can pay for the amount out-of-pocket. A broker may be able to advise you on what the best option is going forward.
- If you have an older vehicle that you are not concerned about having to repair and would sooner replace, drop any remaining collision or comprehensive coverage you have. It simply won’t be worth it to repair these vehicles and they’re likelier to be written off.
- If you’re younger, try to maintain a clean driving record and avoid any risky situations like lending your car to a reckless driver.
- Take a defensive driving course. This can be extremely helpful if you’ve been in an accident before, been labelled high-risk, or are a younger driver.
- If you have other insurance policies, bundle them through the same provider. Many insurance companies will reward you for doing so by granting you a discount.
- Watch the distance you drive. If you’re near a certain threshold, lower your kilometres even more by taking public transport or carpooling to qualify for a low mileage discount.
- Make tiny repairs yourself and avoid filing small claims.
For more advice based on your personal circumstances, get in touch with our Acera auto insurance brokers.
Most of the time, barring very specific circumstances or risk profiles, raising your deductible will save you money on your auto insurance policy. It’s important to remember that if you raise your deductible, you will still be responsible for that amount when it comes time to make a claim, and raising your deductible to an amount that is simply not financially feasible may not be in your best interest.
In Ontario, on average, a typical deductible is between $500-$1,000. Consider raising yours if it is anything less than that or ask a broker for advice. It’s important to be mindful that if you have a high deductible, your claim could potentially be smaller than what your deductible is, meaning the repair costs will come out of your pocket anyway.
By working with our Acera Insurance auto brokers, you will get further insights on how to get lower rates if raising your deductible is not possible at this time.
In most situations following an accident, you will be required to pay your deductible before your insurance company steps in to cover the remaining owed amount for your repairs or total replacement. Your deductible is a specific portion of the loss you’ll pay. For example, if you had a loss that would cost $2,500 in repairs, and you had a deductible of $500, then your insurer would have you pay the $500 towards the repairs before covering the remaining $2,000. You only pay a deductible on claims that carry one. Most auto insurance policies will decree a deductible as necessary for a partially or fully at-fault accident. Some cases of auto theft or vandalism may not be subject to a deductible.
*Conditions and restrictions apply to all offers. Actual savings may vary based on the insurance provider and an individual’s insurance history.
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