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What our users say:

March 27
I had a really fantastic company…
I had a really fantastic company representative by the name of Tristan Palser......
Janice Penney
March 27
Very satisfied
Very satisfied, easy and worth switching 😀
Joanna Hogan
March 27
Jennifer was very helpful and…
Jennifer was very helpful and knowledgeable. Very good experience so far.
Jeremy Allin
March 25
Very professional friendly and…
Very professional friendly and genuine....they made me feel like I mattered
Charles D Bedard
March 25
Immediate response
Immediate response
Donald Henderson
March 19
It was quick and easy and saved me over…
It was quick and easy and saved me over $400.00...
Dennis Coulson
March 19
It is easy to make the quotes with the…
It is easy to make the quotes with the cheap price.
Thuy Nguyen
March 15
Absolutely amazing!
Absolutely amazing! Got a great deal and the best agent possible! Thank you very...
Adam Michael Peters
March 15
I found the representative a good…communicator
I found the representative a good communicator and he help me to feel comfortabl...
James Mirowski
March 15
Very friendly voice o the other end
Very friendly voice o the other end, and very happy with my quote
Joe Moreira
March 15
It was a professional and fast answer…
It was a professional and fast answer to my request, it couldn’t be more perfe...
Mahrez Djellouli
March 15
very satisfied
agent was very very helpful explain a lot of things we dint know very happy wit...
Joao Medeiros
March 13
Great service
Very helpful
Jessica
March 8
Easy to use and logical site
Easy to use and logical site
keith houghton
March 8
Fast and knowledgeable response to…
Fast and knowledgeable response to enqueries
Andrew Leung
March 6
Very helpful team !
Very helpful team !
Shivali Patel
February 15
Super fast seriously half the price!
Super fast seriously half the price of my previous broker. I worked with Khadija...
N. Gul
January 31
Representative was extremely helpful…
Representative was extremely helpful and was able to assist in all our needs.
Laura Dunsford
January 19
I was treated very well
I was treated very well, the person that was helping me was very helpful and fou...
Tim Bob
January 18
Great service
The response to my inquiry was quick. I received a phone call a few hours later ...
Sherri Leclerc
December 4
Quick turnaround
Quick turnaround, I am really happy with the process so far.
Breno Mendonca
November 11
process was easy and professional
The process was easy and professional
James Robichaud
November 1
The young man was very courteous and…
The young man was very courteous and professional. We didn't qualify due to low...
Teresa Penning
October 26
Quick and friendly response.
Quick and friendly response.
Dan Rochon Rochon
October 13
prompt respond
prompt respond, knowledgable
Brano Lapin
September 27
The agent was Patient and knowledgeable…
The agent was Patient and knowledgeable answered all my questions
Richard Young
August 31
The agent (Jan) was most professional
The agent (Jan) was most professional, courteous, and friendly.
Kewal Khanna
July 27
They gave me a lot of important…
They gave me a lot of important information
Liliana FERNANDEZ
July 13
THE PERSON ANSWERED ALL MYY QUESTIONS
THE PERSON ANSWERED ALL MYY QUESTIONS
Antonio

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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 March 27, 2024
Customer
Female, 34 years old
Location
ontario
Vehicle
2013 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LAREDO 4DR 4WD
Lowest Rate
$229/mth
$2,742/yr
Average Rate
$343/mth
$4,111/yr
Saved
$114/mth
33.30%
Quote from March 27, 2024
Customer
Male, 21 years old
Location
ontario
Vehicle
2014 FORD FIESTA SE 4DR
Lowest Rate
$179/mth
$2,149/yr
Average Rate
$258/mth
$3,099/yr
Saved
$79/mth
30.66%
Quote from March 27, 2024
Customer
Male, 44 years old
Location
ontario
Vehicle
2013 CHEVROLET CRUZE LT TURBO 4DR
Lowest Rate
$306/mth
$3,676/yr
Average Rate
$407/mth
$4,888/yr
Saved
$101/mth
24.80%

Auto insurance quotes are compared from CAA, Coachman Insurance Company, Economical Insurance, Gore Mutual, Onlia Insurance, 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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*Represents the average saved by shoppers who obtained a Collision car quote on LowestRates.ca and transacted via our contact centre between January and December 2021. The average savings amount 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.