High-Risk Drivers

There are alternatives for those who are motivated. The first step is to start shopping for competitive auto insurance rates in Ontario. Using a comparison site such as Rates.ca will help any driver find an auto insurance provider in Ontario at a better price than expected. Auto insurance companies in Ontario do not necessarily operate the same and will arrive at their own assessment, which often means drivers will be presented with a range of insurance options with different cost structures.

Even though drivers still fall in the high-risk category, comparing quotes represents an opportunity to start improving your driving record. It’s best to discuss your accidents, infractions and convictions openly with your provider and to find out how long a time period they will count against you, as this varies from province to province.

Usage-based insurance (UBI) is another option that has been adopted by several insurance companies in Ontario. This takes the form of a device–run by telematics technology–planted in the cars of customers to track and record how they drive, including monitoring quick turns, hard acceleration, braking and overall speed.

Several Ontario auto insurance firms now present customers with a five to 10 percent discount to do a trial run. In the course of trying to establish a better driving record, having such objective data in the hands of auto insurance providers may help the high-risk driver who conforms to safe driving habits. The data cannot be used to increase your premium.

As a high-risk driver, it’s even more important to shop around and compare high-risk car insurance rates. Keep track of your claims and convictions, and know when they’re set to come off your record: three years for convictions and six to nine years for claims. Once something comes off your record, your rate can go down, and you might even fall back into the low-risk category.