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Insurance Rates

1. Accidents

3 accidents in 36 months: +50%
Each additional accident: +20%

2. Minor Moving Traffic Violations

Offenses under any Act governing highway traffic. 3 violations: no surcharge
each additional violation: +25%

Minor

Breach of speed limits under 40 kilometers per hour
Moving traffic offence other than Major/Serious
Defective equipment
Seatbelt violations
Unsecured load or overload
Unnecessary noise
View obstructed
Failure to product proof of insurance
Failure to produce driver's license
Driving in a reserved bus lane
Crowding driver seat
Crossing person in trailer
Improper passing/driving
Driving on wrong side of road
Driving an unsafe vehicle
Impeding traffic/passing vehicle
Improper use of or failure to use turn/stop signal device
Failure to stop for police officer
Failure to have proper trailer attachments
Failure to yield right of an emergency vehicle
Failure to share road
Failure to stop as required
Failure to obey traffic sing/control device
Following too closely
Pedestrian cross over violation
Any offense substantially similar committed in or outside Ontario

3. Major Highway Traffic Violations

a) Offenses Under any Act governing highway traffic
Each violation: +25%

Failure to report an accident
Failure to give name and license number in the event of accident to police or other persons entitled to such information
Improper passing of school buses
Improper passing of schools or playgrounds
Driving with no insurance
Speeding 40 kilometers per hour and over
An offense substantially the same committed in or outside Ontario

b) Offenses under any Act governing highway traffic

1 violation: +50%
Each additional violation: +100%

Driving without due care and attention )careless driving)
Racing
Failing to stop at the scene of an accident

4. Criminal code Violations – Serious Convictions

Offenses under the Criminal Code of Canada or any other Act of offense substantially the same, within or outside Canada

1 violation: +50%
Each additional violation: +100%

Criminal negligence or manslaughter committed in the operation of a motor vehicle
Intoxicated driving
Impaired driving
Driving while license under suspension or disqualified
Dangerous driving
Failure or refusal to submit to a Breathalyzer test
Exceeding blood alcohol level permitted by law.

5. Proof of Financial Responsibility

If proof of Financial Responsibility is required under a financial Responsibility Law because of a violation or judgment, the fee for filling “Proof” shall be a $25.00 flat charge for the first policy period, regardless of limits

Driving Without Insurance

If you are stopped by the police, you are required by law to provide proper insurance documents. The law requires every motor vehicle to be insured with at least the third party liability coverage. The driver of the motor vehicle is responsible to ensure that they are properly insured. It is illegal to operate a motor vehicle that is not properly insured. Driver's who drive without any insurance may be penalized by receiving a fine ranging from $5,000 to $25,000. In addition your license could be suspended for up to one year and your car could be impounded for up to three months.

No Fault Insurance

There is a lot of confusion surrounding Ontario`s No-Fault Insurance Program. It does not mean that those drivers who cause accidents are unaccountable, nor does it mean that all those involved in accidents are automatically assessed as equally at fault.

The No-Fault Insurance Program simply means that you deal with your own insurance company for any claim you make. If the other party is determined to be at fault in the accident (according to pre-established rules – see News & Updates for an example), your insurance company will then re-coup the claim from the other party`s insurance company.

This process is designed to ensure that anyone involved in an accident will be covered, even if the other party isn`t insured.

It sounds like a good system, right?

Be forewarned, however, that those "Rules" to determine fault can be quite confusing and counter-intuitive. And, if you are found to be even 5% at fault, you will be liable for the deductible and will face increases to your insurance premiums that will typically last for six years from the time of the accident.

Case of the month:

A woman was approaching an intersection when the light turned red. She was in the process of coming to a stop when she was hit from behind by a truck, propelling her car into the van in front of her. Fortunately, no one was injured, but there was significant damage to the three vehicles involved.

At the time of the impact her car was moving at less than 5 km/hr. The van had already stopped, and the truck was travelling at approximately 45 km/hr.

The question is: Who is at fault?

Obviously the woman did nothing wrong. She was coming to a stop in a controlled fashion, and was hit from behind by another vehicle. Unfortunately, because her car was in motion at the time of the accident, she is automatically determined to be 25% at fault. This means that she is responsible for her deductible, and faces a significant increase in her insurance premiums for up to six years.