Find Cheap Car Insurance in Thunder Bay

Car insurance in Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay, considered a gateway to Ontario’s Northwest region, is accessible by via the Trans-Canada Highway.

Drivers en route to enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities in the area should arrive prepared, including with a vehicle that can handle hilly terrain and extreme conditions. And, of course, with appropriate car insurance coverage.

While car insurance is mandatory everywhere in Canada, drivers venturing outside urban centers may consider optional coverage and endorsements that protect them against a wider range of perils than what are available through basic mandatory coverage.

Here, we outline both mandatory and optional coverage so that you can pick and choose what makes sense for your circumstances.

Endorsements OPCF 27, OPCF 35 and OPCF 44R may be especially helpful for drivers who spend a considerable amount of time on the road – whether for pleasure or business, travelling around the Thunder Bay region.

Mandatory coverage

In Canada, car insurance is a legal requirement. Though you can customize your policy, the following are considered mandatory in Ontario:

• Accident benefits/bodily injury: Covers cost of medical care for injuries from a collision. Also covers wage replacement, homecare and funeral costs, where necessary.
  
• Direct Compensation Property Damage (DCPD): Covers the cost of damage to a vehicle, its contents and/or a rental car for an insured driver who is deemed not to be at fault for the collision.
  
  DCPD was designed so that the insured person is compensated by their own carrier in a timely manner, rather than having payment delayed by a protracted legal process following a collision.
  
  For DCPD coverage to kick in, the collision must have taken place in Ontario and with a vehicle that is also insured in Ontario.
  
• Third party liability: When a third party is injured or killed this coverage covers the cost of a lawsuit brought against the at-fault driver. Also covers repair costs for property and vehicles damaged in a collision as well as medical costs for injuries resulting from a collision.
  
  A minimum amount of TPL is required in each province.
  For example, in Ontario drivers must have a minimum of $200,000 TPL, though, experts often recommend up to $1 million. Think about it this way: if a driver with $200,000 TPL coverage is sued for $1 million, they’ll have to cover the $800,000 difference.
• Uninsured motorist: Covers the insured financially if they’re injured, killed or their vehicle is damaged in a collision with an uninsured or unidentified driver.

Optional coverage

Beyond the mandatory coverage in Ontario, drivers can add coverages to their policy, such as:

• All perils: Covers many perils. Broadly, has similarities to Collision and Comprehensive coverage.
  
• Collision: Covers car replacement, or repair costs, if insured’s car is damaged in a collision and they’re at fault. Also covers single vehicle collisions and hit and run accidents.
  
• Comprehensive: Covers damage by debris, earthquake, explosions, hail, theft, vandalism and weather events.
  
• Specified perils: Covers damage from a short list of perils that are specifically named in insured’s policy, such as, attempted theft, damage in transport, earthquake, explosions, fire, lightning, riots or windstorms.

Endorsements

Endorsement is term used in the insurance industry to refer to a policy amendment that broadens, restricts or alters its terms. They’re added to a policy for greater coverage.

Some popular car insurance endorsements include:

• OPCF 20 – Loss of use: Covers the cost of a replacement vehicle, or transportation costs, when your car is damaged. This protection comes with All perils, Comprehensive or Specified perils coverage.
  
• OPCF 27 – Damage to non-owned vehicle: Also known as ‘a 27’, this coverage means that any bodily injury, accident benefits, uninsured automobile and other property damage coverage you have through your car insurance policy is extended to a vehicle you don’t own.
  
  If you’ve rented a car while in Thunder Bay, or, while travelling to Thunder Bay by rented vehicle, purchasing the property damage coverage – also known as Loss Damage Waiver, or ‘LDW’ – is redundant when you already have a car insurance policy that has ‘a 27’.
  
• OPCF 35 – Emergency roadside: If you find yourself in need roadside assistance in and around Thunder Bay, this endorsement will cover the cost of any labour required where your car broke down, the cost of a tow, battery, gas or tire replacement and/or the cost of a locksmith.
  
• OPCF 44R – Family protection: Covers the difference between your coverage and any liability coverage of a third party who’s found at fault during a collision. We recommend that drivers who regularly travel with family consider adding this endorsement to their car insurance policy. Those eligible (under 18) will be better compensated in the event of a collision where the other driver is at-fault.
  
• OPCF 43 – Depreciation waiver: If your vehicle is written off following a collision, this coverage means you’ll receive back the full value of the car. This is an option especially worth considering if your car is new.

Though the provincial regulator, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario, requires government approval to change car insurance rates, your insurance costs can increase when you add more coverage.

To make sure that you’re always getting great value – the best coverage at the lowest rate – we recommend comparison shopping every time your policy is up for renewal.

When you survey available rates from 50+ of the most trusted providers in Canada, you’re likely to save money, in some instances hundreds of dollars each year.

How much does car insurance cost in Thunder Bay?

The most recently available figures from RATESDOTCA’s Auto Insuramap tool reflect that in 2021 the average car insurance premium for drivers in Thunder Bay was $1,369.

This is about 14% lower than the provincial 2021 average of $1,555.

In the same year, car insurance rates in Thunder Bay decreased about 8%, down from an average of $1,488 in 2020.

Car insurance rates in cities like Thunder Bay tend to be lower because there are many fewer drivers on the road compared to larger cities and therefore fewer claims.

Top 7 tips for finding cheap car insurance in Thunder Bay

1. Customize your policy: When you select the coverage you need and nothing more, you’re going a good distance to managing your car insurance costs. For example, if you drive a used car, there’s no sense in having (and paying for) a OPCF 43 – Depreciation waiver endorsement. If your used car is totalled in a collision, the amount you’d receive for it could be less than the cost you assumed for the additional coverage.
   
2. Comparison shop: When you shop for car insurance every time your policy is up for renewal, you’re likely to find the best coverage for the lowest rate. We offer free quotes from more than 50 of the most-trusted providers in Canada. At the time of securing a new policy, you’re likely to find savings because of different provider offers and/or because your coverage needs have changed.
   
3. Get winter tires: When you can tell an insurance provider that you’ve taken reasonable steps to ensure safety on the road, you may be able to secure savings. In Ontario, you’re entitled to a discount of 5-15% when you can tell your provider that you’ve installed winter tires. The specific discount you receive is at the discretion of the provider.
   
4. Increase deductible: When you elect to pay a higher deductible, you may be eligible for savings. Paying the annual cost of coverage up front may also result in savings.
   
5. Make fewer claims: Drivers with a clean driving history are more likely to receive lower premiums. On the other hand, if you’ve made claims in the past, you can expect to pay more for coverage.
   
6. Telematics: When you consent to having your driving monitored by an electronic device installed in your car, you may be eligible for savings. Information the device captures allows the provider to assess how safe you are on the road and reward you with savings on your premium.
   
7. Usage-based: If you agree to be charged for car insurance based on how much you drive, you may be able to bring down your rate. Reducing mileage is sure to net savings on car insurance.