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May 16
Very helpful
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May 14
Great Agent
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May 12
very nice and helpful
very nice and helpful
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May 12
Agent are courteous and transparent…
Agent are courteous and transparent they going to help you as much as they can.
Jessie Mangabay
May 9
He was straightforward and to the…
He was straightforward and to the point. Told me what to expect. And gave me an...
Adrian
May 9
Searched for my best option
Searched for my best option
Barry Hewitt
May 9
It’s so easy to use
It’s so easy to use. People are so friendly.
Gordon Richard
May 9
Amazing
Amazing, she was very helpful
Trent Lastname
May 9
Customer service was fantastic
Customer service was fantastic. She was knowledable, personable, and curtesous. ...
Amanda Murphy
May 8
Excellent fast and efficient.
Excellent fast and efficient.
Wayne Hunter
May 8
Help me to be able to thresh out the…
Help me to be able to thresh out the best rate with my auto insurance..
Jovi
May 8
Fast
Fast, easy, and friendly.
Daniel Castro
May 6
Excellent service allowing many quotes…
Excellent service allowing many quotes from multiple insurance companies, made t...
Thomas Mulrooney
May 6
acted very fast in replying
acted very fast in replying
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May 5
Fast Friendly service
Fast Friendly service
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May 5
Great and friendly service
The fast response after filling out the online portion and the very friendly and...
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May 2
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Dale Ross
May 1
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nice and friendly
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When you find the best quote, secure your rate by talking to a licensed broker or agent.

What is collision car insurance?

Collision car insurance is a type of auto insurance coverage that protects your vehicle if it collides with another vehicle, object or property, regardless of whether you’re the at-fault driver or not. If the vehicle ends up damaged or totaled, your insurance provider will pay for its repairs or replacement.

If you forego this coverage, you may still be covered for collision damage in some capacity – depending on where in Canada you live and the circumstances of your collision. Here are some of the coverages that may protect you:

Talk to your insurance provider to find out what’s covered and isn’t covered in your province, so you don’t run into any surprises.

Is collision car insurance mandatory?

For most people, the answer will likely be ‘yes,’ though it’s not as straightforward as it is with other mandatory coverages (like third-party liability, for instance).

From a legal perspective, collision auto insurance is only mandatory in two provinces: Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Over there, it’s included in the base policy as part of the ‘all perils’ coverage. (It’s worth noting that the auto insurance system is public in those provinces, not privatized.)

Yet, even if you live outside of Saskatchewan and Manitoba, you may still require collision coverage. That’s because a dealer or lender won’t let you lease or finance a car without it (similar to how you can’t take out a mortgage without home insurance, despite home insurance being legally optional).

If you fully own the vehicle, consider the following when deciding whether collision insurance is for you or not:

What does collision insurance cover?

What is not covered by collision insurance?

How do collision car insurance claims work in Canada?

Collision car insurance claims are relatively straightforward, provided you understand the process and know what you’re covered for. People tend to run into issues when they don’t understand their own policy or how claims work.

Since we’ve already explained how collision coverage works, it’s time to have a look at the claims process. Here it is, step by step:

Will I have to pay more for insurance?

Not necessarily. Depends on how responsible you are for the crash. Generally, if you’re found to be at fault for the accident – even if your responsibility level is as low as 15% – assume that your premiums will go up. Different insurers will have their own threshold for how much responsibility they’re willing to accept before increasing their premiums, so there’s no definitive percentage.

It’s possible that if you have a long, claims-free history, your insurer may forego increasing your premiums altogether. However, the opposite will be true if you have a long history of collisions and filed claims. In this case, your premiums are very likely to go up.

Front view of a car. Illustration.

See how our customers with collision coverage save big on auto insurance.

CustomerLocationVehicleLowest rateAverage rateSaved
Quote from May 18, 2025
Customer
Male, 21 years old
Location
alberta
Vehicle
2021 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 LT DOUBLE CAB 4WD DIESEL
Lowest Rate
$790/mth
$9,484/yr
Average Rate
$2,078/mth
$24,938/yr
Saved
$1,288/mth
61.97%
Quote from May 18, 2025
Customer
Male, 31 years old
Location
ontario
Vehicle
2010 HONDA CIVIC DX-G 4DR
Lowest Rate
$175/mth
$2,094/yr
Average Rate
$227/mth
$2,718/yr
Saved
$52/mth
22.96%
Quote from May 18, 2025
Customer
Male, 18 years old
Location
ontario
Vehicle
2020 DODGE/RAM RAM 1500 BIG HORN CREW CAB 2WD
Lowest Rate
$360/mth
$4,322/yr
Average Rate
$614/mth
$7,365/yr
Saved
$254/mth
41.32%

Auto insurance quotes are compared from CAA, Coachman Insurance Company, Economical Insurance, Gore Mutual, Pafco, Pembridge, SGI, Travelers, Zenith Insurance Company

Frequently asked questions about collision car insurance coverage in Canada.

Is collision insurance required in Canada?

In most of Canada, collision, unlike liability or accident benefits, is not a mandatory coverage.

Manitoba and Saskatchewan are exceptions. Both provinces have fully public car insurance systems. The provincial auto insurance providers have decided to include collision coverage in a basic policy.

B.C. has a hybrid system. While basic auto insurance is offered through the province's public car insurance system, collision coverage in B.C. is optional. To get help repairing or replacing your car, you will need to buy collision insurance from your Autoplan broker.

Should I have collision insurance on an old car?

Most of the time, the answer to this question is: no. However, you need to consider your own unique circumstance. Depending on the facts of your situation, it may be a good idea to get collision insurance, even if your car is old (by that we mean cars that are older than five years).

Here are some things to consider before deciding to forgo collision insurance:

  • What is the resale value of your car according to the Kelley Blue Book? The Blue Book is published by an automotive research company and shows what car owners can expect to receive for their car when trading it in at a dealership.

  • Based on that information, would you be able to replace your car out of pocket, if it was declared a total loss?

  • How much would it cost to add collision insurance to your base insurance policy? How much would your car insurance policy cost without collision coverage?

  • Would you want collision car insurance coverage that offers actual cash value (the value of your car minus depreciation) or the full replacement value (you’ll receive the amount you originally paid for your car when you bought it)? Replacement value costs more.

  • If you bought collision car insurance, what would the deductible be (this the amount you’d be expected to pay before the insurance company will pay the rest)?

  • How important is a car to your lifestyle? Is it a must-have or can you get by on public transit for a little while?

Your insurance agent or broker will be able to help you sort through these questions and arrive at a decision about which form of collision insurance best suits your needs.

How much does collision insurance cost?

Your collision car insurance price will depend on two things: your insurance provider and personal factors, such as car, location, driving record, age, sex and experience. For instance, the more experience you have as a driver, the cheaper your premium will be. On the flipside, the more collisions you have on your driving record, the more expensive your premium will be. Depending on whether your area has a lot of crime or traffic, your premium will once again be either higher or lower.

The best way to ensure you get a cheap premium is by acquiring driving experience and driving as safely as possible.

In the short term, you can also shop around for insurance quotes, using comparison sites like LowestRates.ca.

How do I compare collision insurance rates?

There are two ways to compare collision insurance rates:

  • By contacting individual auto insurers in your area and asking each of them for a quote.

  • Using a comparison tool like LowestRates.ca to not only compare quotes from multiple insurers at once in a matter of clicks (for free), but to secure the cheapest auto insurance quote possible.

Taras Trofimov

Taras Trofimov

About the Author

Taras is the Content Manager for LowestRates.ca. He has produced thought leadership content for organizations like Constellation Software, Facebook and Yellow Pages as well as outlets like The Globe and Mail, Autoblog and MSN Autos.

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*Shoppers in Canada who obtained an auto insurance quote on LowestRates.ca from January to December 2023 saved an average  of 23%. The average savings percentage represents the difference between the shoppers’ average lowest quoted premium and the average of the second and third lowest quoted premiums generated by LowestRates.ca.