Car Insurance in Ontario for new immigrants

Canada Immigration Forum (discussion group)


 
       
Subject: Car Insurance in Ontario for new immigrants
  Hi,

Does anybody has any suggestions for car insurance for new immigrants in Ontario. Insurance in Ontario is ridiculously high. I am a 28 yrs old professional living in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere. My insurance is almost like a 16 yr old kid. Can anyone suggest me some sane insurance companies that would suit new immigrants like me.

All suggestions and experiences are welcomed.

AB

[20-07-2007,21:43]
[**.109.184.93]
Anonymous
(in reply to: Car Insurance in Ontario for new immigrants)
I too was shocked at the high cost of car insurance in Ontario. Toronto is the worst.

If over 50, there´s a discount insurance company called greypower.com with much lower rates. Otherwise, the next best alternative would be from a company called Economical Mutual. You can only get a policy through them by finding an insurance broker who deals with them. My suggestion is to contact your local insurance brokers and ask for a rate quote through that company.

Also go to http://www.kanetix.ca/ and get a quote online from a few companies there and see who offers the lowest. Economical Mutual participates with this website.

[20-07-2007,21:52]
[**.47.174.241]
Richard
(in reply to: Car Insurance in Ontario for new immigrants)
Try the major banks like RBC insurance they are getting into the Insurance game and they are very low.

Consider buying an older car (point a to b) for the first year then you will see a major drop in what they want from you.

Roy
www.cvimmigration.com

[21-07-2007,09:30]
[**.55.216.99]
Roy
(in reply to: Car Insurance in Ontario for new immigrants)
Thanks Roy and Richard. Well my car is over 12 years old. I moved from the states. Just not used to pay over two grand for insurance. I guess I have to live with it now.
[21-07-2007,11:38]
[**.109.184.93]
Anonymous
(in reply to: Car Insurance in Ontario for new immigrants)
Have you brought a letter stating your experience from the Dept of motor vehicles from your state ??
[21-07-2007,14:20]
[**.71.1.125]
Anonymous
(in reply to: Car Insurance in Ontario for new immigrants)
Yes I have bought the letter
[22-07-2007,00:24]
[**.109.184.93]
Anonymous
Car insurance in Ontario for new immigrants (in reply to: Car Insurance in Ontario for new immigrants)
Try getting online quotes at kanetix.com you can compare a few quotations from different companies and decide
[22-07-2007,11:18]
[**.96.249.223]
dsr
ONlLY US and UK drivers can get a swap on their driver's permits. (in reply to: Car Insurance in Ontario for new immigrants)
For those who are Immigating to Canada, from any country except the USA and the United Kingdom, you will NOT be able to simply swap your "home country " driver´s permit to a Canadian one.

You will have to go thru the eintire two year " probationary driver classification system ". This requires you to " learn to drive " to Canadian standards, thru writtten tests on the "rules of the road " and a beginners driving test, and a vision test.

For the next two years ( In Ontario for example ) you will have a "restricted driving license" that does not allow you to do many things, as a driver, such as drive after dark, or on high speed roads, or have ANY alcohol in your blood at all, and you have to have a person with you , in the vehicle, who has more than 5 years of driving experience. at all times.

IF you are convicted of ANY driving offence during that two year period, you will be suspended from driving for 3 months, receive a cash fine, and you will have to restart the whole process over again, from the begining.

This applies to ANY " new driver in Canada" regardless of their age at the time they apply in Canada to get a driving license.

With regard to vehicle insurance in Canada. It is based on a combination of the driver´s record IN CANADA, and the cost of repairing the car covered on the insurance policy, AND where the person lives in their Province.

Obviously, the risk of being in a car accident is much LOWER in a small town than in a big city, that is why it costs MORE to insure a car in Toronto than in Sault Saint Marie, right Richard ?? The amount of daily driving that the insured driver does is also taken into account. That is called "daily exposure to a potential accident " and it does affect the rate that is charged by the insurance company. Another factor is what level of " coverage " you choose to pay for. If you choose NOT to have " all perils " coverage, you wil pay less. If you choose to have such things as " rental car coverage in case of the principle car being stolen " you will pay more in premiums. for sure. Finally, the number of " insured persons " and their age ( teen aged kids ) and their past driving records, will ALL affect the costs of insurance in Canada.

Insurers in Canada have lots of actual statistics that show that Immigrants to Canada will have at least ONE serious vehicle accident, with bodily injuries, in the first 5 years of driving in Canada, due mainly to their inexperience with WINTER driving conditions.

I´ve been driving in Canada and the USA, year round for over 42 years ( I´m 60 years old now ) and that covers OVER 2 million miles, but I have yet to fill out my first accident report. Needless to say my personal car insurance rate per year ( for a 2006 model car ) is less than most people pay per MONTH here.

Jim B. Toronto.

[23-07-2007,13:56]
[**.99.152.2]
Canadian Citizen
(in reply to: Car Insurance in Ontario for new immigrants)
Absolutely correct, Jim, good observations. I still haven´t figured out, though, why car insurance in Canada is twice or even more expensive than in the U.S.
[23-07-2007,17:24]
[**.47.174.241]
Richard
Insurance is a pool, and ours is more shallow than in the USA. (in reply to: Car Insurance in Ontario for new immigrants)
Richard:

Insurance is a pool of money, paid by all the insured persons to cover the risks that they all face. In the USA , one insurance company, (lets say State Farm for instance) may have MORE people in their insurance files than the entire population of Canada ( 31 million people in total ) so the amount of money they have available to cover any loss is huge.

In Canada the 90 percent smaller population group requires that EACH individual car owner pay more to provide the pool with the needed funds to cover losses occuring here. Add to that the cost of repair parts that, in many cases, have to come in from the USA, and the result is higher insurance costs, but as I also pointed out, that can be mitigated by making choices about what level of coverage you need/want to pay for.

Jim B. Toronto.

[23-07-2007,21:22]
[**.99.152.2]
Canadian Citizen
ONlLY US and UK drivers can get a swap on their driver's permits (in reply to: Car Insurance in Ontario for new immigrants)
Jim,

What you said about having to start the entire process is only correct if the immigrant does not bring a certified letter with proof of driving experience from the original country´s department of driving (or equivalent). With this proof (assuming more than 2 years total driving experience in the home country), the immigrant can write the written test, get a G1 license, and then schedule a full G2-exit road-test without having to wait the two years. That is, they can go from G1 to full G in whatever amount of time it takes to schedule the exit road test. I know this to be true because my friend´s father just got his G license and he´s only been in country for about 4 months now.

Jon. Richmond Hill

[26-07-2007,19:56]
[**.245.179.73]
Anonymous