How Insurance Incentives May Help Reduce Winter Collision Rates in Canada
If you were driving in Canada back in the late 1990s, you likely don’t remember putting winter tires on your car. Back then, just 35% of us undertook this annual swap, which at the time was widely viewed as optional. Today, Canadians clearly understand the importance of the right rubber: 80% of Canadians reported using winter tires in 2025, up from 72% in 2020, according to the Tire and Rubber Association of Canada (TRAC).
The increase in winter tire adoption has coincided with a decline in winter collision rates, suggesting winter tires may be contributing to safer winter roads. MyChoice data collected on our platform, based on 200,000 insurance quotes since 2020, shows the percentage of drivers involved in winter collisions has fallen from 10.78% in 2021 to 9.23% in 2026. That represents a roughly 14% decline in the percentage of quoted drivers reporting winter collisions over the period.
Several factors have compelled Canadians to make the seasonal switch, and insurance incentives appear to be one of several factors influencing adoption. Has the insurance industry helped encourage safer winter driving habits in Canada? The data suggests it may have played a meaningful role.
“Insurance is often viewed as something that responds after an accident, but some of the industry’s biggest successes happen before a claim ever occurs,” says Aren Mirzaian, CEO of MyChoice. “Winter tire discounts are a good example of how relatively small incentives can encourage safer driving behaviour at scale. When more drivers adopt proven safety measures, everyone benefits through fewer collisions, lower claims costs, and ultimately more stable insurance premiums.”
Why Have Canadians Become More Likely to Use Winter Tires?
Consumer education around winter tires has come from many sources over the past few decades, including automakers, tire manufacturers, insurance stakeholders, and automotive media. Those campaigns have clearly made an impact. According to TRAC’s 2025 Winter Tire Report:
- 76% of Canadians believe extreme weather linked to climate change has made winter tires more important than ever
- 70% believe winter tires provide a safety advantage in cold weather
- 81% feel winter tires are an important investment despite rising cost of living pressures
- 84% of those who use winter tires report they’ve saved them from potentially hazardous driving situations, such as loss of control or a collision
“This supports the view that drivers see winter tires as protective rather than just precautionary,” states the TRAC report. “(Canadians) view them as a safety measure that gives them greater confidence and peace of mind when navigating increasingly unpredictable winter road conditions, and not just an optional upgrade.”
The Insurance Industry’s Quiet Influence on Driver Behaviour
While the broader data is encouraging, drilling down reveals more focused success stories. Quebec is an obvious one: winter tires have been mandatory in the province since 2008. A 2011 survey by the Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable showed a 5% reduction in winter collisions and a 3% reduction in deaths and serious injuries due to those collisions in just the first two seasons of enforcement.
British Columbia makes M&S tires mandatory on certain mountain roads during the winter. Otherwise, there are no Canadian provinces or territories that require winter tire use. However, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador have legislation requiring insurers to offer a discount for drivers who install qualifying winter tires on their vehicles. Many insurers offer discounts that commonly range between three and five percent. In other provinces and territories, insurers may offer voluntary discounts for winter tire use, but consumers need to shop around to find them.
According to TRAC data, insurance discounts affect consumer decision-making around winter tires. Lower insurance rates are cited by 24% of Canadian drivers as a reason to install winter tires in provinces where their use is not mandatory. As a single point of influence, that’s a significant figure.
The Takeaway: Insurers Could Play a Larger Role in Public Safety
The survey data from TRAC and MyChoice.ca suggest that insurance discounts play a role in encouraging winter tire adoption and may contribute to broader road-safety improvements. This shows that there are clear opportunities for insurers to play an even bigger role in changing driver behaviour and positively influencing safety and claims trends.
Winter tires are only one part of the equation. Following good winter driving safety practices can further reduce the risk of collisions during Canada’s most challenging driving months.
Key Advice from MyChoice
- Double-check the requirement of a winter tire discount with your insurer. Some insurance companies want you to have winter tires on during certain months, or they might ask for proof that you bought them.
- The real savings from installing winter tires might not come from the discount. If they help you avoid an accident, your rates will stay low. Winter tires work best as part of a broader strategy for preparing your car for winter, including maintenance checks and emergency preparedness.
- Remember to check winter tires for the three-peak mountain snowflake (3PMSF) symbol. Not every tire sold as ‘all-season’ works well in winter. Read our guide to the best winter tires for Canadian winters, as it compares some of the top-performing options currently available.