Average Auto Insurance in Manitoba
Manitoba doesn’t have too bad of prices for auto insurance. The province ranks fourth amongst all of Canada’s provinces in terms of having the highest average auto insurance. In Manitoba, the average auto insurance cost is $1071. Seeming as this average cost is almost $500 less than the most expensive province in Canada, it is pretty easy to see that this is a fair cost.
List Of Top Car Insurance Companies in Manitoba
| Ranking | Top Auto Insurance Companies in Manitoba | 2015 DIRECT WRITTEN AUTO |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northbridge Financial Corporation | 2,131,000 |
| 2 | Lloyd's Underwriters | 1,663,000 |
| 3 | Co-Operators General Insurance Co | 846,000 |
| 4 | AIG Insurance Co Of Canada | 556,000 |
| 5 | RBC General Insurance | 471,000 |
| 6 | RSA Canada Group | 433,000 |
| 7 | Zurich Insurance Company Ltd | 364,000 |
| 8 | Intact Financial Corporation | 271,000 |
| 9 | Travelers Canada | 233,000 |
| 10 | Chubb Insurance Co of Canada | 158,000 |
| 11 | SGI Canada Group | 44,000 |
| 12 | Aviva Canada Inc | 36,538 |
| 13 | Old Republic Insurance Company | 31,000 |
| 14 | Economical Insurance | 19,000 |
| 15 | Cumis General Insurance | 14,000 |
| 16 | Guarantee Company Of North America | 3,000 |
How Does Getting a Drivers License Work in Manitoba?
In order to get a Manitoba driver’s license, you must be at least 16 years of age. Once you are 16 years of age, you can go for your learner’s driver’s license. Upon having your learner’s license for a minimum of nine months, you can try to get your intermediate driver’s license. If you pass your road test and get your intermediate driver’s license, you must drive with this license for at least 15 months before going for your full license.
Who Regulates Auto Insurance Rates in Manitoba?
In Manitoba, the government regulates auto insurance. The main reason for this is that it helps to avoid costly legal battles as a result of vehicle accidents. It is the government’s goal to set fair rates for the people of Manitoba and to not give the power of setting rates to insurance companies. By governing insurance rates, auto insurance claims tend to settle at a fast rate of speed helping to keep insurance rates down across the province. By setting rates themselves, they can also ensure that things like discrimination don’t occur.
What is Autopac and why is it mandatory in Manitoba?
Autopac is essentially the name of the basic coverage package that the provincial government requires all drivers in Manitoba to purchase. All Autopac coverage packages have the same amount of compensation and coverage within them under the basic package. One other nice thing about Autopac is that you also have the option of adding a variety of other coverages to your policy. With these extra packages, you can add extra coverage for luxury vehicles, increase or decrease your deductible and even increase your liability insurance.
What does Autopac cover in Manitoba?
The basic Autopac coverage package gives all Manitoba drivers $200,000 in third-party liability coverage. Amazingly, basic Autopac coverage actually pays for using other transportation if your vehicle happens to be stolen. You can actually receive up to $34 per day or up to $1020 max if this happens to you. Another thing that Autopac covers is collision damage to vehicles. In the event of a collision, a basic Autopac coverage plan will cover you for up to $50,000 in damages. If you have a luxury vehicle and want more than that, you will have to pay for additional coverage. One other very cool thing that basic Autopac covers are sound and equipment systems. If an accident occurs and your sound system or non-factory installed equipment is damaged, you’re eligible to receive up to $1000.
What Is a Driver Safety Rating and How Does It Affect Your Premium in Manitoba?
Manitoba’s public insurance system is in effect to help reduce accidents on the road. It is for this reason, they have come up with a scale known as the driver safety rating. On this scale, there are 36 different levels. Depending on your driving record and where you land on the scale, your insurance premium will increase or decrease. On the Manitoba Public Insurance Corporation website, there is a calculator where you can test to see how you’re driving will affect your position on the scale. To give you a general idea, at the top level of the scale your driver premium is $15 with a 33% vehicle premium discount. If you are at the bottom of the scale your driver premium is $2500 with a 0% vehicle premium discount. As you can see, there is a huge difference in price depending on how safely you drive.
How do I Ensure that my DSR Rating in Manitoba Stays Positive?
In order to make sure that you stay positive on the driver safety rating scale, you need to have a clean driving record. For each traffic conviction or at-fault claim that you have, you will move down the scale. Depending on what you did, your position on the scale may move more than one notch at a time. If you happen to be in the positive portion of the scale, each year that you drive safely you will move one position upwards on the scale. This will allow you to be able to have more savings on your insurance premium. With this system, you can find your DSR safety rating on the side of your insurance renewal notice, which means it is extremely easy to keep track of where you are.
How Often do Vehicle Collisions Happen in Manitoba?
No one wants to get into an accident, which is why you might want to know how many accidents occur. In the year 2016, there were a total of 45,316 different collisions were reported in Manitoba. From 2011 to 2015 there was an average of 39,463 collisions. In 2015, there were 41,548 collisions. This is kind of alarming as there has definitely been an increase in the number of collisions in recent years. However, it is important to realize that in a population of 100,000 people, there were only 944.7 traffic collisions in 2016. This means that even with the higher collision rates of late, on average, you have less than a 1% chance of getting into an accident.
To Conclude:
Manitoba may not have the cheapest insurance in the country, but they certainly do have relatively affordable insurance rates. The province makes it extremely easy to be able to get insurance coverage as even the provincially run government insurance has optional packages that you can add. If you live in Manitoba, there isn’t very much of a need to purchase insurance from a third-party insurer unless you desire to do so. Most people will find the policy there are looking for within the government’s options, which is extremely convenient.
About the Author: Ashley Miller
