How Can You Get Cheap Car Insurance in Barrie?
You can get cheap Barrie car insurance by finding the best deals. Here are several tips to help you do so:
Compare Rates Between Insurers
Barrie has a highly competitive auto insurance market, so insurers are constantly vying for your business. When insurers try to give you the best deals, it’s you who wins. Compare rates and shop around to see which insurance provider fits your auto protection needs affordably.
Take Bundled Policies
One of the best ways to save money while shopping is to buy a package deal, and insurance is no different. If you bundle home and auto insurance from the same company, you’re much more likely to get lower rates.
Ask For A Higher Deductible
You must pay a deductible on insurance claims before your carrier covers the remaining expenses. A higher deductible means paying extra if something happens to your car, but it also means you’ll get lower insurance premiums.
Request Group Discounts
Many insurance companies deal in group discounts for companies and other organizations. If you’re shopping for auto insurance in Barrie for work, ask your agent about group deals and discounts.
Pay Annual Premiums
Paying annual insurance premiums might look expensive initially, but it’s generally cheaper than paying them monthly. Ask your insurers about half-year premiums if you can’t afford annual premiums.
Drive Safely
Motor vehicle offences and accidents stay on your record for years. Unfortunately, any driving violation on your record will considerably increase your insurance rates. However, this also means you’ll get lower auto insurance rates if you have no offences on record.
Consider Taking Usage-Based Insurance
Usage-based insurance (UBI) or pay-as-you-go insurance tracks your driving behaviour to determine how much you must pay for insurance. Taking UBI lets you save up to 30% on your annual premiums, so it’s a good option if you consider yourself a safe driver.
Take Driving Courses
Accredited driving lessons make you a safer driver and let you earn discounts on auto insurance in Barrie.
Choose the Coverage You Need
Naturally, more insurance protection leads to higher rates. While some auto insurance coverage is mandatory, you have optional insurance coverage like at-fault accident and theft protection. Review your policy and skip unnecessary optional coverage to save on insurance premiums.
Buy Affordable Cars
Cars that are expensive and hard to replace tend to get hit with higher premiums. If possible, buy affordable and reliable cars that are more common and easy to repair or replace if you want lower insurance rates.
Quick Facts About Auto Insurance in Barrie
- Barrie car insurance is MORE expensive than the Ontario average.
- The average annual car insurance cost in Barrie for a driver with a clean record is around $1,409.
- Drivers without a clean record in Barrie can pay up to $3,105 annually, depending on factors like driving and claim history.
- Comparing Barrie auto insurance quotes with MyChoice can save you up to $1,000 annually.
Who Provides Car Insurance Quotes in Barrie?
Insurance brokers, agents, aggregators, and direct writers provide car insurance quotes in Barrie. Here’s an overview of these four insurance quote providers:
Insurance Brokers
Insurance brokers are independent professionals who help you shop for the best rates by comparing deals from multiple insurers. Because they have a bird’s-eye view of the current Barrie insurance landscape, they can show you which companies offer the best insurance deals and answer any questions you may have.
Brokers take a commission from insurance companies, which could increase your rates. You might spend more money than if you had found an insurer yourself.
Direct Writers
Like insurance agents, direct writers only sell insurance products from one company. Direct writers are typically found online and are cheaper because they don’t have physical offices.
Insurance Agents
Insurance agents work for a certain insurer, so they can only offer their employer’s insurance products. However, they know their insurer like the back of their hands and might even give you discounts that brokers don’t have access to.
Additionally, insurance agents can close insurance sales independently, meaning you can purchase insurance from them right then and there.
Insurance Aggregators
An insurance aggregator website like MyChoice compiles rates from various insurance brokers, companies, and direct writers in one place. You can browse aggregator websites to find the best deals from the top insurance companies and get quotes instantly.
Better yet, insurance aggregators are accessible online and entirely free for customers, so you can look up insurance rates without spending a single penny or leaving the house.
How Does Car Insurance Work in Barrie?
Car insurance in Barrie works by providing financial coverage in case something bad happens to you or your car, depending on the protection you choose. Auto insurance in Barrie is mandatory by local laws, which means you need car insurance to avoid fines or driver’s licence suspensions.
Worse still, if you get convicted of driving without insurance, you’ll get higher premiums from carriers. This makes driving again prohibitively expensive or even nearly impossible after being caught driving without insurance. That’s why getting auto insurance is essential before buying a car or driving in Barrie.
Here’s a breakdown of the key elements of your auto insurance policy:
The mandatory car insurance requirement for Barrie drivers are:
Third-Party Liability (TPL) Coverage
This insurance component provides financial compensation if you cause an accident that results in car damage or somebody getting hurt or killed. Per Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) regulations, you need at least $200,000 in TPL coverage.
Statutory Accident Benefits Coverage
This insurance component pays for your medical bills, rehabilitation, and possible funeral expenses if you get hurt or killed in a car accident, regardless of who’s at fault. Accident benefits coverage also offers income replacement worth 70% of your gross income, capped at $400 per week.
Uninsured Automobile Insurance
Uninsured automobile insurance covers your medical bills and funeral expenses if you’re struck by uninsured vehicles or hit-and-run drivers. Additionally, it compensates for vehicular damage caused by uninsured drivers.
Direct Compensation – Property Damage (DC-PD) Insurance
DC-PD insurance compensates you for the damage other drivers cause in an accident. However, DC-PD only kicks in if the other person is at fault, they’re also insured, and the accident takes place in Barrie.
Once you meet the minimum car insurance coverage requirements, you can legally drive in Barrie. However, it pays to have extra protection beyond the basics in case you get in an accident.
Since minimum car insurance only goes so far, we’ve got some extra Barrie car insurance recommendations for you:
Extra TPL Coverage
The mandatory $200,000 insurance minimum can be too small, so many drivers choose to get coverage up to $2 million if they cause property damage or hurt somebody in an accident.
Additional Statutory Accident Benefits
Many people get additional coverage for medical bills and funeral expenses in their statutory accident coverage. You can also get extra income replacement protection if 70% income capped at $400 a week seems too limited.
More Comprehensive Property Damage Protection
DC-PD coverage has very specific coverage terms like the other driver also needs to be insured, and the accident must occur in Barrie. To cover their bases, many people purchase extra insurance that still protects them even when the other driver is uninsured, and the accident happens in other provinces.
In addition to mandatory insurance coverage outlined by the FSCO, you can take optional insurance coverage like:
Specified Perils Protection
Specified perils insurance coverage protects you from loss or damage due to a specific cause. The most common perils insured are:
- Car theft
- Fire, earthquake, and explosion
- Weather, which includes windstorms, hail, and lightning
Many insurers also offer comprehensive auto insurance in Barrie if you want protection from all these perils.
Accident Forgiveness
Insurers usually raise your premiums if you’re at fault for causing an accident. If you’ve been a safe driver for several years, you can take extra accident forgiveness coverage so you won’t get higher premiums if you cause an accident. Note that accident forgiveness only works on your first accident, and subsequent violations will still raise your rates.
Limited Depreciation Waiver
If you take a limited waiver of depreciation, you can receive your car’s purchase price as compensation if it’s been stolen or deemed a total loss after an accident.
How Your Car Insurance Quotes Are Calculated in Barrie
Your car insurance rates are calculated based on how risky you are to insure. Naturally, drivers more likely to get into accidents will have higher premiums than those less likely to be in an accident.
Here are seven factors that influence your Barrie car insurance quotes:
Age, Gender, and Marital Status
Your personal demographics influence auto insurance premiums in Barrie because different people have varying accident risks.
Younger people tend to get higher premiums because insurance companies see them as more accident-prone than older people. Generally, your car insurance rates start decreasing when you hit 25 years old as long as you keep a safe driving record. However, insurance premiums increase again for people aged 65 and older because they’re more likely to be injured or killed in traffic accidents.
Women often get lower insurance rates because they’re seen as more careful drivers and don’t take as many risks as men.
Marital status also determines your rates because most insurance companies see married people as more financially stable and less-risky drivers. Married couples also tend to bundle home and auto insurance, saving more on premiums.
Location
People who live in urban areas often see higher insurance premiums because they’re more prone to car accidents and theft.
Car Make and Model
Expensive cars are more costly to repair or replace, so insurance premiums are usually higher than more common vehicles. You can install security features like anti-theft devices if you have an expensive car and want to save on insurance premiums.
Driving History
People who drive safely are rewarded with lower premiums because they’re usually less likely to get into a traffic accident. Conversely, people who have gotten into multiple accidents get higher premiums because they’re more likely to be involved in another accident down the line.
Driving Activity
Logic dictates that people who drive frequently are more likely to get in an accident. Therefore, kilometres driven is one of the determining factors that set your Barrie auto insurance rates.
Insurance Coverage Chosen
Your coverage options influence your insurance rates because taking more coverage gives you more protection. Naturally, the more coverage you choose, the higher your rates.
Policy Discounts
Getting discounts can lower your auto insurance rates and make them more affordable. You can typically get discounts by bundling home and auto insurance or asking for a group discount for your workplace or organization.
Most Expensive Postal Codes in Barrie
The average cost of auto insurance in Barrie is $1,409 per year. For reference, the average cost in Toronto – the closest major city – is about $1,796 per year. This is likely because Toronto is more densely populated and thus more prone to car accidents and car theft.
These are the postal codes with the most expensive car insurance in Barrie:
Postal code | Average annual car insurance premium |
---|---|
L4M | $1,414 |
L4N | $1,409 |
Least Expensive Postal Codes in Barrie
L9X is where you’ll find the cheapest insurance premiums in the city of Barrie. Check out the table below for other cheap postal codes for auto insurance:
Postal code | Average annual car insurance premium |
---|---|
L9J | $1,407 |
L9X | $1,406 |
Car Insurance Cost in Barrie by Age
Age is a major driving factor in whether you can expect higher insurance premiums. Generally, the idea is that older drivers have more experience and are thus more likely to be responsible and capable of avoiding accidents.
Drivers under the age of 25 can expect higher insurance premiums, while those in their 50s and 60s can expect the lowest insurance rates. However, once you reach a certain age, your premium rates start to rise again – usually when you reach the age of 65 or become a senior citizen.
Based on studies, 75-year-old male drivers pay 21% more for auto insurance than 55-year-old male drivers. This is because as people get older, they go through physical changes that can affect their driving ability, such as changes in vision, attention, fitness, and reaction time.
Take a look at how much car insurance costs can vary by age in Ontario:
Age | Average annual insurance cost | Average savings with MyChoice |
---|---|---|
18-20 | $5,030 | $1,000 |
21-24 | $2,874 | $572 |
25-34 | $1,916 | $381 |
35-44 | $1,409 | $280 |
45-54 | $1,155 | $230 |
55-64 | $982 | $195 |
65+ | $1,120 | $223 |
Car Insurance Cost in Barrie by Driving History
Your driving record plays a major role in determining the cost of your insurance premiums. Insurance companies will usually request the following:
- Demerit point total
- Any convictions, suspensions, and reinstatements under the Highway Traffic Act and Criminal Code of Canada
- Records of collisions
- Any driver’s license replacements/renewals
A clean driving record will help you get lower premiums, while a record laden with violations will get you tagged as a high-risk driver and cause insurance companies to charge you more.
In Ontario, driving violations remain on your record for two years, but they can affect your premium rates for far longer. Take a look at how traffic violations can impact your insurance rates below:
Driving violation | Average annual car insurance rate |
---|---|
Clean driving record | $1,409 |
Insurance cancellation due to non-payment | $2,311 |
Licence suspension for alcohol-related offences | $1,689 |
One accident | $3,105 |
Speeding ticket | $1,835 |
Other Factors That Affect Car Insurance Prices in Barrie
We’ve covered several factors that influence car insurance rates in Barrie. Aside from those, several extra factors play a part in determining your Barrie auto insurance premiums:
Vehicle Model Accident Rates
Some cars are just more accident-prone than others. Even if you have a spotless driving record, owning a car model infamous for having high accident rates will increase your insurance premiums.
Vehicle Age
Naturally, older cars are more expensive to insure because they may not have all the safety features of newer vehicles. If you insist on driving a vintage car everywhere, make sure you can pay the insurance premiums.
Vehicle Repair Costs
The harder it is to repair a car, the more expensive it is to insure. You can expect high insurance premiums on luxury cars and foreign cars that don’t have a large dealership or service centre presence in Canada.
Vehicle Primary Usage and Annual Mileage
You may spend more or less time on the road depending on what you use the car for. Car usage influences insurance rates – generally, the more you use it, the higher your premiums. For instance, insurance premiums on a car you use as an Uber will be higher than on a car you almost exclusively take on weekend cruises.
A good way to measure how much somebody uses a car is by its annual mileage. If your car has low annual mileage, insurers may determine that this car is low-risk and thus grant you more affordable insurance rates.
Local Crime Rates
Living in high-crime areas means your car is at higher risk of being stolen or vandalized. If you live in an area where theft or vandalism often occurs, you may get higher car insurance rates.
Past Insurance Claims
Any auto insurance claims will drive your premiums up, regardless of who’s at fault. If you make many insurance claims, the insurer will see you as a high-risk policyholder and give you higher rates.
Loyalty Bonuses
Many insurance companies reward long-term customers with discounted rates. If you’ve been a policyholder at the same insurance company for several years, ask for a rate reduction or discount when you renew your policy.
The Best Car Insurance Brokerages in Barrie
Unlike insurance companies, insurance brokerages don’t sell their own policies. Instead, they work similarly to how mortgage brokers work. They gather quotes from several different companies and narrow down the best options for you.
You can work with insurance brokers to help you find the best-rated policies in your city. Here are some of the top insurance brokerages in Barrie:
Brokerage | Address | Phone number |
---|---|---|
BrokerUnion Insurance Brokerage | 494 Veterans Dr Unit 4 Barrie, ON L4N 9J5, Canada | +17052521900 |
Aim Insurance Brokers Ltd o/a McCam Insurance | 92 Caplan Ave Suite 645 Barrie, ON L4N 9J2, Canada | +17057375620 |
Benson Kearley IFG – Insurance Brokers & Financial Advisors | 51 King St Unit 4 Barrie, ON L4N 6B5, Canada | +19058983815 |
Laura Vivian Insurance and Financial Services | 494 Veterans Dr Barrie, ON L4N 9H8, Canada | +12262403388 |
Driving in Barrie
Barrie is an up-and-coming waterfront city located just 90 kilometers north of Toronto. Previously known as a bedroom community – a city made up mostly of residents who commuted to a bigger city for work – Barrie is gaining a reputation as one of the fastest-growing populations in Canada.
Here are some fast facts about driving in Barrie:
- Major highways in Barrie: Highway 400, Highways 11, 26, 27, 90, 93, 131
- Public transit options: Barrie Transit, GO Transit
- Ridesharing services: Uber
- Parking space providers: The City of Barrie, Impark
- Top tourist attractions: Innisfil Beach Park, Barrie Centennial Park, Kempenfelt Bay, Snow Valley Ski Resort, Mount St. Louis Moonstone
- Busy intersections: Highway 400 and Essa Road, Highway 400 and Maple Drive, Essa Road and Fairview Road, Dunlop Street West and Ferndale Drive North, Dunlop Street and Hart Drive
- Airports: Lake Simcoe Regional Airport
Main Mode of Commuting in Barrie
Over 90% of Barrie’s residents commute by car, truck or van. Nearly 82% of them are drivers, so we can assume that most Barrie commuters drive their own vehicles. Here’s a closer look at how people commute in Barrie:
Main mode of commuting | Counts | Rates |
---|---|---|
Total – 25% sample data | 54,965 | 100.0 |
Car, truck or van | 49,825 | 90.6% |
Car, truck or van – as a driver | 44,845 | 81.6% |
Car, truck or van – as a passenger | 4,980 | 9.1% |
Public transit | 2,060 | 3.7% |
Walked | 1,780 | 3.2% |
Bicycle | 280 | 0.5% |
Other method | 1,025 | 1.9% |
Commuting Duration in Barrie
People in Barrie often experience shorter commutes, since over half of them take under half an hour to get to work. In fact, almost a third of them take less than 15 minutes to complete their commute. Let’s break down the commuting duration in Barrie:
Commuting duration | Counts | Rates |
---|---|---|
Total – 25% sample data | 54,965 | 100.0 |
Less than 15 minutes | 19,200 | 34.9% |
15 to 29 minutes | 14,775 | 26.9% |
30 to 44 minutes | 7,390 | 13.4% |
45 to 59 minutes | 5,580 | 10.2% |
60 minutes and over | 8,025 | 14.6% |
Driving Conditions in Barrie
Insurance premiums may change depending on your city’s driving conditions. Here’s a rundown of driving conditions in Barrie:
- Average daily commute time: 62 minutes round trip
- Average annual rainfall: 854 mm
- Average annual snowfall: 159.7 cm
- Rainy days per year: 138
- Rainiest month in Barrie: October
- Driest month in Barrie: January
- Snow days per year: 53
- Snowfall months in Barrie: December to March
Traffic in Barrie
Compared to its neighbor Toronto, which has a population of 2.7 million people, Barrie only has around 140,000 residents. Despite this, traffic can build up on Barrie’s main thoroughfares on weekdays, particularly as 90% of Barrie’s residents drive to work. On weekends, Barrie’s roads become congested with tourists making their way to cottage country.
Here are some key facts about traffic in Barrie:
- Population: Barrie has 143,740 residents within its city limits.
- City area: Barrie’s urban area spans 171.53 km2
- Average commute distance:
- Time spent in traffic annually: Barrie residents spend roughly 377 hours in traffic every year.
- Busiest highways: Highway 400, which cuts through Barrie and connects the city with Toronto, is the most congested highway in Barrie. On weekends, congestion is most felt in the north, on the intersection of Highway 400 and Highway 11, going towards Orillia and Huntsville. Sunday evenings are especially bad as cottage country vacationers make their way home.
The Most Common Questions About Car Insurance in Barrie
How much is auto insurance in Barrie?
Auto insurance in Barrie costs about $1,409/year on average.
Is car insurance cheaper in Barrie?
Car insurance is cheaper in Barrie compared to its neighboring city Toronto.
What are car insurance rates for Barrie students?
The average insurance rate for students (G2 drivers) in Ontario is $5,030. G2 drivers face higher premiums because they lack experience and have a higher likelihood of engaging in risky behavior.
How do Barrie auto insurance rates compare to other cities in Ontario?
Barrie is slightly more expensive than other smaller cities like Guelph but cheaper than major cities like Toronto.