Want to compare the best auto insurance quotes in Ontario? Good thing you found us.

In the province of Ontario, auto insurance rates are set by individual insurers and then reviewed and approved by the Superintendent of Financial Services and the Financial Services Commission of Ontario.

Insurers evaluate a variety of factors before they calculate your auto insurance rate. The following variables are used to determine your insurance rate in the province:

• Your driving experience.
• Your driving record.
• Your age and gender.
• Where you drive.
• The type of vehicle you drive.
• How you use your vehicle.
• How much coverage you need.

Unfortunately, Ontario auto insurance premiums are the highest in Canada. Why? Many experts point to high fraud rates and higher than average traffic on Ontario roads.

Average auto insurance rates by province

Source: Insurance Bureau of Canada, 2017

*2016 data

Experts say rampant fraud is the main reason cheap auto insurance is so hard to come by in Ontario. Strict mandatory minimum liability regulations and generous accident benefits laws are a couple other factors that contribute to Ontario's high rates.

Yes. Slowly but surely, rates are going down. In 2013, the Ontario government promised to put downward pressure on auto insurance rates across the province, and since then, average rates dropped by 8.35%. However, rates continue to creep upward despite this overall trend. According to the Financial Services Commission of Ontario, average auto insurance rates increased by 1.50% in the third quarter of 2016. Nearly a dozen auto insurers were approved for rate increases, many of which were 5% or higher. Of course, these are all average figures, and many Ontario drivers will still see rate reductions. Among LowestRates.ca users, rates actually dropped 9% between 2015 and 2016.

Source: fsco.gov.on.ca

There are many ways to get cheap car insurance in Ontario. Here's what you can do:

• Compare quotes online.
• Pay premiums on time.
• Choose the right insurance coverage.
• Complete a certified driver training program.
• Insure all your vehicles with the same company.
• Use winter tires (insurers offer discounts).
• Bundle your home insurance with your auto insurance.
• Maintain a good driving history (always drive carefully and obey the rules of the road).

Yes. By law, all Ontario drivers must carry insurance for their vehicle.

Ontarians are required to carry $200,000 in third-party liability insurance for their vehicles. Without the minimum amount of coverage, drivers can't register their automobiles.

Drivers in Ontario are also required to buy direct compensation property damage (DCPD) coverage. DCPD covers your vehicle damages if another driver is found at fault for the accident. Even if someone else damages your car, you collect benefits from your own insurer.

Ontario operates under a no-fault insurance system. Your insurer pays for your damages and the other driver's insurer pays for theirs.

If you have an automobile accident in Ontario, regardless of who's at-fault, your liability coverage provides these supplementary benefits:

• Income replacement: 70% of gross wages to a maximum of $400 per week.
• Benefit to disabled non-earners: $185/week for 104 weeks.
• Medical, rehabilitation, and attendant care: up to $65,000 for non-catastrophic injuries or up to $1 million for catastrophic injuries.
• Funeral expenses: up to $6,000.
• Payment to survivors of a person who's killed: minimum of $25,000 to spouse and $10,000 to dependants.
• Other expenses.

Motorists convicted of driving without insurance in Ontario must pay a fine ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 for their first offence. Second offence fines range from $10,000 to $50,000, and your driver's licence may be suspended for up to a year.

If you're convicted of driving without the minimum auto insurance coverage required by law, you'll be identified as "high risk". You'll likely face higher auto insurance rates in the future, and your vehicle may be impounded.

You can begin the licensing process in Ontario when you turn 16. To get a learner's licence (G1) in Ontario, you have to pass a written rules of the road knowledge test and a vision test. When you pass these tests, you get your G1 licence. But once you get behind the wheel, you must be accompanied by a fully licensed driver whose blood alcohol content (BAC) is less than 0.05, and your own BAC must be 0.

After you hold your G1 licence for 12 months, or 8 months with the completion of a driver's education course, you have to pass an advanced road test to earn your probationary licence (G2). Drivers with a G2 licence cannot drive between 12:00 AM and 5:00 AM or on high-speed expressways (including 400-series highways). And they must maintain a BAC of 0.

Once you've had your G2 licence for 12 months, you can take your final road test, which usually includes driving on a four-lane highway. If you pass, you get your full licence (called a G). Just remember: you have to renew your G license every 5 years, and Ontario drivers have to maintain a BAC of 0 until they turn 22.

Yes. Ontario was the first province to approve an insurance policy for ride-sharing. So if you drive for a ride-sharing service like Uber, make sure you get the right coverage. Ride-sharing insurance is absolutely essential to keep your customers, your vehicle, and yourself protected in case something happens while you’re on the road.

Yes. Ontario was one of the first jurisdictions in Canada to approve usage-based car insurance policies, and drivers in the province can take advantage of this new type of insurance plan to dramatically lower their premiums.

Learn more about usage-based car insurance here.