Source: Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario
Analysis: 2024 car insurance rate trends in Ontario
Car insurance rates are expected to continue rising in Ontario in 2024 due to inflation, supply shortages, and concerning levels of car thefts.
The same issues drove the substantial rebound of rates in 2023. They still need to be resolved, which is why RATESDOTCA predicts drivers should gear up for more increases. Already, FSRA has approved some insurers for rate increases as high as 25%.
Province proposes solutions to unaffordability in 2024 budget
However, the government, police forces, car manufacturers, and the insurance industry have banded together to propose solutions to the issues driving unaffordability.
In 2024, the Ontario government made direct compensation property damage (DCPD) coverage optional. You can remove it from your policy by applying for an endorsement, OPCF 49. This could help you save some money, but it means you won't be entitled to have your insurance company pay for physical damage caused to your car by an accident you're not at fault for.
The 2024 provincial budget also outlined plans to make some aspects of mandatory accident benefits coverage optional, which would lower the premiums of people who apply to remove the coverage. However, the government acknowledges that this change will occur in stages and will involve consultation with the auto insurance industry. The expected date for these changes to be fully implemented is sometime in 2026.
Governments unleash funds to combat auto theft
The government of Canada has announced $15 million in funding to fight auto theft. Some of the funds will be allocated to INTERPOL to help retrieve stolen vehicles from Canada that have been shipped abroad, but the majority will go to provincial, territorial, and municipal law enforcement agencies through the Contribution Program to Combat Serious and Organized Crime (CPCSOC).
The 2024 Ontario budget earmarked $49 million for the Ontario Provincial Police's auto theft team, tasked with analyzing and identifying trends related to auto theft.
Another $46 million is reserved for the purchase of four helicopters, which the government says is essential to help police forces stop car thefts in progress.
From quarantine-era rate freezes to 2022 reversal
Ontario car insurance rates were static during 2020 and 2021 as pandemic restrictions altered our collective driving habits. There were fewer collisions, drivers decreased their coverage, and insurance companies issued base rate reductions, pandemic discounts and rebates.
The reversal began in the spring of 2022 following seven consecutive quarters of little to no change and has maintained momentum since.
If your car insurance policy is renewing soon and you're concerned about rising prices, shopping around and comparing quotes from multiple insurance companies can help you save money. Don't just take our word for it: comparing quotes is recommended by Ontario's regulator of car insurance prices, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA), and the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC), the federal government's consumer watchdog.