Find the Cheapest Edmonton Car Insurance Quote!

Edmonton Car Insurance

Edmonton is the northern-most city in North America with a metro population of over one million. Alberta’s provincial capital is the fifth largest city in Canada and a major economic centre best known for its oil and gas industry. It’s also a staging point for large-scale diamond mining operations in the Northwest Territories. While these underlying facts conjure up images of burly bearded men in plaid shirts and work boots, there is much more to Edmonton than its blue-collar industries.

A little bit of Edmonton history

Edmonton was founded 1795 as Fort Edmonton, and it is fair to say it took a while to catch on. By the mid 1890s, there were only 700 people living there. The fledgling community had increased to 8,350 by 1904 and it became the capital of Alberta in 1905. Later that same year, the Canadian Northern Railway (CNR) arrived in Edmonton, and since then, the city has gone from strength to strength.

Today, Edmonton is home to the North America’s largest mall, North America’s largest fringe theatre festival, and less famously, North America’s largest composting facility.

Edmonton’s diversity makes it a hard place to pigeonhole. A point emphasised by how many official nicknames it has. Depending on whom you ask, it is either Festival City, The Gateway to the North, or Canada's Richest Mixed Farming District (we’re not sure that last one will catch on).

Whatever you call it, Edmonton’s growth shows no sign of slowing down. It has been unveiled as one of the host cities for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This will almost certainly lead to increased federal and provincial investment, in addition to a projected $170-million windfall if they end up staging three or four matches.

It is about time Edmonton received some global recognition. Indeed, this is the birthplace of lovable pot advocate Tommy Chong, nerd heartthrob Nathan Fillion, and 80s time traveller Marty McFly (aka Michael J. Fox).

If the DeLorian from the Back to the Future franchise is still operational, Marty should go back in time and tell people to drive more carefully, because for all its positives, Edmonton has one unwanted record: it has the highest car insurance premiums in all of Alberta.

For this reason, Edmontonian’s should bookmark Rates.ca, and compare quotes regularly from over 30 of Canada’s top insurance providers to find the best possible deal on car insurance.

In 2018, Edmonton drivers who used Rates.ca saved an average of $387.16 on their annual premium.**

Why is car insurance so expensive in Edmonton?

Lots of cars on the road

Edmonton is a driving city, and Edmontonians love their cars. There are 943,971 vehicles in the Edmonton area, almost one for every man, woman and child. More cars inevitably means more accidents, which in turn means higher auto premiums.

Does Edmonton have bad drivers?

Drunk driving offences are thankfully on their way down in Edmonton, but distracted driving offences owing to cell phone use are trending in the opposite direction. In a study commissioned by the City of Edmonton in 2016, 33 percent of drivers admitted to texting, emailing or looking at social media while driving in the past month, and this trend appears to be getting worse.

According to a recent study by the Government of Alberta, the most frequent driver actions contributing to casualty collisions were following too closely and running off the road. This tragically translates to more deaths on the road, with motor vehicle fatalities being significantly higher than the national average.

This elevated threat to personal safety means higher auto insurance rates for all drivers in Alberta, including Edmonton.

Grand Theft Auto: Edmonton Edition

Insurance companies use a number of data points to calculate your rate, including the number of vehicle break-ins and thefts in your neighbourhood.

In Edmonton, car thefts have been on the rise over the last few years. In 2018, Edmonton’s dedicated police unit recovered $4.6 million worth of stolen vehicles, and laid charges against 236 people. Shockingly, the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) estimates that as many as 60 percent of Edmonton’s stolen cars were left with keys inside prior to being stolen. In an effort to combat these numbers, Edmonton Police Service, the RCMP and the IBC have launched the “Lock Out Auto Theft” campaign to help drivers protect themselves and their vehicles from crime.

TLDR

Population density, distracted driving infractions, and car theft are to blame for Edmonton facing some of the highest auto premiums in Canada.

Do your bit to bring down the city average premium: keep a clean driving record, lock your car when not in use, and compare quotes on Rates.ca. You could save hundreds of dollars!

* Savings are calculated by deducting the lowest available quote from the second lowest available quote. In 2018 the average savings for Alberta drivers was $409.60.

** Savings are calculated by deducting the lowest available quote from the second lowest available quote. In 2018 the average savings for Edmonton drivers was $387.16.