The Best Car Insurance Quotes in Sault Ste. Marie (2023)

The best way to get cheap car insurance in Sault Ste. Marie is to find the best-valued policies and lower your premiums. Here are several ways to do just that:

Bundle Home and Auto Insurance

Package deals are a great way to save money while shopping; it works the same way in insurance. Bundling home and auto insurance from the same provider will likely get you better rates than buying separate policies from different companies.

Pick and Choose Insurance Coverage

Getting extra insurance protection on top of your mandatory coverage ensures your car is safer from danger. However, more protection also means higher insurance premiums. If you want to lower your Toronto car insurance rates, check your policy and opt out of unnecessary optional coverage.

Shop and Compare Policies Between Insurers

Sault Ste. Marie has numerous auto insurance companies trying to get your business. Because the market is very competitive, Sault Ste. Marie auto insurance providers often try to one-up each other in giving you the best deals. 

Ask several insurance brokers and agents to choose the right insurer and policy combo that fits your auto protection needs the best.

Pay Premiums Annually

Annual insurance premiums look expensive initially, but when you break them down, the monthly expenses are cheaper. Ask your insurance provider for half-year premiums if you can’t afford annual premiums.

Don’t Miss Premium Payments

Missing premium payments can negatively affect your rates and, in severe cases, even force your insurer to cancel the policy. Always pay your premiums on time to prevent your rates from increasing.

Practice Safe Driving

Driving offences and car accidents stay on your insurance record for years. You’ll be marked as a high-risk driver if you have a record riddled with accidents and offences, meaning your insurance rates will be higher.

Conversely, having a clean driving record means you’ll get lower Sault Ste. Marie car insurance rates.

Choose Pay-As-You-Go Insurance

Pay-as-you-go insurance determines your insurance rates by analyzing your driving habits. Pay-as-you-go insurance can save you up to 30% if you consistently exhibit safe driving habits.

Attend Driving Courses

It never hurts to refresh and relearn safe driving habits. In addition to making you a safer driver, participating in accredited driving courses may help you get discounts on Sault Ste. Marie auto insurance.

Ask About Group Discounts

Insurance companies are more than happy to give group discounts when buying policies in bulk. Always request group deals when shopping for auto insurance in Sault Ste. Marie for your workplace.

Purchase More Affordable Cars

Expensive cars are usually more costly to repair, which means they may have higher insurance rates. If you want to save on Sault Ste. Marie auto insurance, buy affordable and reliable cars that aren’t expensive to repair.

Request A Higher Deductible

You must pay a deductible on insurance claims before your carrier covers the remaining expenses. A higher deductible means you pay more if something happens to your car, but it also means you’ll get lower insurance premiums. Conversely, a lower deductible means you pay less when making claims but get higher insurance rates.

The average cost of auto insurance in Sault Ste. Marie is $1,244 per year. 

These are the postal codes with the most expensive car insurance in Sault Ste. Marie:

Below is the cheapest postal code for car insurance in Sault. Ste Marie:

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 Sault Ste. Marie:

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. 

Just like in other places, car insurance in Sault Ste. Marie works by providing a financial benefit if you or your car is involved in an accident. As with the rest of Canada, auto insurance is mandatory, meaning you must have car insurance to avoid fines and licence suspensions.

AAIf you get caught driving without insurance, insurers will flag you as a high-risk driver and raise your premiums. Naturally, it’s a problem – higher rates mean you must spend more money before you can legally drive. For this reason, having auto insurance is a must before buying a car and driving in Sault Ste. Marie.

So, what’s included in Sault Ste. Marie auto insurance? Here, we break down the main parts of your Sault Ste. Marie auto insurance policy:

Mandatory Insurance Coverage

These are the mandatory coverage all Toronto drivers need:

Third-Party Liability (TPL) Coverage 

TPL coverage pays out when you cause an accident that causes vehicular damage or causes somebody to get injured or killed. The Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO) requires all drivers to have a minimum of $200,000 TPL coverage.

Statutory Accident Benefits Coverage

This part of your insurance protection covers medical bills, rehab costs, and funeral expenses if you get involved in a car accident, regardless of who’s at fault. This insurance component also covers income replacement worth 70% of your gross income, up to $400 per week.

Uninsured Automobile Insurance 

Uninsured automobile insurance coverage pays your medical bills, funeral expenses, and vehicle repair if you get in a hit-and-run or uninsured vehicle accident.

Direct Compensation – Property Damage (DC-PD) Insurance

As the name implies, DC-PD compensates you for vehicular damage caused by other drivers in an accident. To claim DC-PD insurance benefits, you must not be at fault and all vehicles involved must be insured. Additionally, the accident must occur in Toronto to be eligible for DC-PD coverage.

Recommended Car Insurance

You can legally drive in Toronto after meeting the minimum auto insurance coverage requirements. However, getting extra protection to complement the minimum coverage is always a good idea.

The bare minimum car insurance protection only goes so far. Here is some extra coverage we recommend:

Extra Third-Party Liability Coverage

The $200,000 insurance coverage minimum can be too small for many, so some drivers get extra third-party liability of up to $2 million.

Additional Statutory Accident Benefits

If you have a family or cover a lot of bills, 70% of income replacement capped at $400 weekly can be too limited. Many drivers purchase extra accident benefits coverage to ensure their bills stay paid during recovery.

More Comprehensive Property Damage Protection

DC-PD coverage has very specific coverage terms – the other driver also needs to be insured, and the accident must occur in Toronto. 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.

Popular Additional Coverage

While taking the mandatory insurance protection is enough to let you drive in Canada, you can protect your car further by taking these extra coverage options: 

Specified Perils Protection

As the name implies, specified perils protection provides compensation if your car is lost or damaged from a specific cause. Some of the more common perils your insurance can cover include:

• Car theft
• Fire, earthquake, and explosion
• Weather, which includes windstorms, hail, and lightning

Instead of buying individual peril coverage, you can buy comprehensive auto insurance in Toronto to save money.

Accident Forgiveness

At-fault accidents will cause insurers to raise your premiums. However, you can take accident forgiveness coverage if you’ve been a safe driver for several years. This coverage is a “free pass,” so you won’t get hit with a premium increase if you cause an accident.

Accident forgiveness coverage only works once, so you’ll get a rate increase on subsequent accidents.

Limited Depreciation Waiver

With a limited depreciation waiver, you can receive your car’s worth at purchase if it’s stolen or totalled after an accident.

Ridesharing Insurance

Insurers offer ridesharing insurance because the occupation leads to increased risks to your car, like driving long distances and potentially entering more dangerous areas. If you’re a rideshare driver and don’t notify your insurer, your claim might be denied due to misrepresentation.

Rideshare insurance replaces your regular auto insurance policy and activates whenever you use the ridesharing app. If you get in an accident during your trip, you’re covered by the rideshare policy.

When planning to drive in Sault Ste. Marie, keep the following in mind:

• Expect delays near the International Bridge and plan accordingly, particularly at the intersection of Queen Street and Huron Street.
• Be aware of wildlife in the area, which may be present on the road at dusk and dawn, whether you’re on Highway 17 or within the city limits.
• Make sure your vehicle is equipped with proper winter tires to ensure good traction during cold and snowy winters. This may also qualify you for a discount on your auto insurance.

Your Toronto car insurance rates are determined based on your risk. Your premiums will be higher if you’re more likely to cause or get into an accident.

Here are seven criteria that insurers use to determine your Toronto auto insurance quotes:

Insurance Coverage Types

Taking more insurance coverage increases your range of protection, but it also increases your rates. Consider removing non-essential protection if you don’t want to spend too much on your insurance.

Insurance Policy Discounts

Naturally, discounts lower your car insurance rates and help you save money. Bundle home and auto insurance from the same provider or ask about group discounts to save more on your policy. If you don’t have a group or already have home insurance from another company, ask your agent or broker about discounts.

Location

Drivers in big cities usually pay more for insurance because there’s a greater chance of accidents and theft. In fact, Toronto is one of the most expensive cities for car insurance in Ontario.

Car Make and Model

Insurers have a database containing accident statistics for every car make and model. Expensive and fancy cars are usually costly to repair, so you’ll probably pay more for their car insurance. Conversely, affordable cars are cheaper to repair, meaning their premiums are lower.

Install security equipment like anti-theft devices if you have an expensive car and want to drive your premiums down.

Driving History

Safe drivers get lower premiums because they’re less likely to get into traffic accidents. Meanwhile, people with multiple accidents on their records must pay more because they’re more likely to get into accidents in the future.

Driving Activity

The more you drive, the higher your risk of getting in an accident. Kilometres driven determines your Toronto auto insurance rates because it represents how much you drive.

Personal Demographics

Personal demographics like age, gender, and marital status influence your Toronto auto insurance premiums because they affect your accident risks.

Younger people get higher rates because they’re often seen as inexperienced and accident-prone. Teens get especially high rates, but premiums usually decline once you hit 25 years old, provided you have a clean driving record. However, premiums will rise again when you hit 65 because seniors are more likely to be injured or killed in car accidents.

Most insurers see women as more careful drivers who don’t take as many risks as men. That’s why women usually get lower insurance rates than men.

Married people tend to be more financially stable and take fewer risks when driving because they have family waiting at home. Because of that, insurers generally give lower rates to married people. Additionally, married people typically bundle home and auto insurance, which saves them money.

We’ve discussed a few factors that influence your car insurance rates in Sault Ste. Marie. In addition to the ones above, other factors can also raise or lower your Sault Ste. Marie auto insurance premiums, such as:

Area Crime Rates

Cars in areas with a high crime rate are more likely to be stolen or vandalized. Therefore, you may pay higher premiums if you live in an area notorious for crime.

Past Insurance Claims

Whether you’re at fault or not, making auto insurance claims will likely drive your premiums up because insurers will mark you as a higher-risk policyholder. If you make multiple insurance claims, your rates may rise considerably.

Loyalty Bonuses

Insurers like loyal customers who stick with a policy for a long time. If you’ve been a policyholder for many years, ask your insurer about loyalty discounts or rate reductions to save on premiums next year.

Vehicle Model Accident Rates

Some car models are simply less reliable than others. Even if you have a perfect driving record, owning a car that’s known to get into accidents will likely land you higher Toronto auto insurance premiums.

Vehicle Age

Older cars are more expensive to insure because they may not have modern safety features. Additionally, their parts may be tougher to fix or replace, driving repair costs up. Thanks to these two factors, premiums on vintage cars tend to be higher than on newer cars.

Vehicle Origin

If a car is harder to repair, its auto insurance rates will rise. This is especially true for imported cars that don’t have a large presence in Canada because they’re harder to fix if something goes wrong.

Vehicle Primary Usage and Annual Mileage

Car usage influences insurance rates because more time spent on the road increases your risk of getting into an accident. That’s why a car you take to commute daily may get higher rates than a car you exclusively take on Sunday drives.

You can measure car usage through its annual mileage. Insurers generally give lower rates to cars with low annual mileage because it means the car has a smaller risk of getting into an accident.

Insurance agents, brokers, aggregators, and direct writers all provide car insurance quotes in Toronto. Curious about what each of them offers? Here’s an overview of the four types of insurance providers:

Insurance Brokers

Most insurance brokers are independent, meaning they can search the market for the best rates by comparing offers from multiple insurance companies. They’re generally very knowledgeable about the Toronto auto insurance landscape, so they can give you the best insurance deals and answer any questions you may have.

Insurance Agents

Insurance agents generally work for a specific insurance company, so their product selection is limited to what the insurer offers. However, insurance agents are experts in their company’s offerings and can even give you discounts that brokers can’t access.

Insurance agents also have the power to close sales independently, which means you can finish your auto insurance purchase quickly.

Direct Writers

Direct writers, like insurance agents, only sell products from one insurer. Generally, their costs are cheaper because they don’t operate physical offices.

Insurance Aggregators

Insurance aggregator websites like My Choice compile offers from multiple insurance companies in one place. You can browse them to find the best deals and get car insurance quotes instantly.

In addition to being convenient, insurance aggregator websites are entirely free for customers, meaning you can find the best deals without spending a single cent.