Truck Articles

Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle means you are taking certain inherent risks. One of those risks is the chance of a car accident. They are unavoidable sometimes. Accidents are called an accident for a reason- you do not mean for it to happen. But the fact remains that they can and will happen. An auto accident occurs every fifteen minutes in Canada, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages every year. Because of these alarming figures, laws in all provinces in Canada require drivers to carry auto insurance on their vehicles at all times.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada requires all drivers to carry minimum amounts of coverage to help cover the costs associated with an accident, which, without coverage, would be monies you are responsible for paying out of pocket. As long as insurance is in place, there are no worries of having to.

The amounts of coverage required to legally drive a car vary according to the province that you live in. Most often the amount that must be carried is for Liability only. This means that the damages you sustain after an accident are not covered! Coverage of at least $200,000 in Third-Party Liability is the norm for all provinces in Canada, with the exception of Quebec, which requires only $50,000 in coverage. This liability coverage pays for both bodily injury and property damage. If both a claim for bodily injury and property damage are both filed, payment for property damage is limited to $20,000 in the provinces of Newfoundland, New Brunswick and the Yukon. All other provinces, with the exception of Quebec, are limited to $10,000.

Medical coverage is also required to be carried in all provinces. Medical coverage pays for your own medical bills after an accident. Coverage amounts vary by province. Of course those who wish to protect their self in an accident have the option of adding additional coverage as well. Collision, comprehensive, and uninsured motorists are three types of additional choices you have to protect yourself.

Keep in mind that it is against the law to operate a vehicle without the required coverage amounts in place. Fines, suspension of your driving privileges, suspension of your vehicle registration, and even jail time can be given to those who are caught without insurance. Proof of coverage must be carried in your vehicle at all times, and presented upon request after an accident or any time a law enforcement officer requests it. Proof is most often a Pink card given to drivers upon enrolment of insurance on their vehicles.

Mike Shannon is a freelance writer, who, in addition to writing on auto topics like the different types of car insurance, is also working on his first fiction novel. His website is about Ontario car insurance and he wants you to visit if you want to learn more.

Apr172011

Tags: Trucks

Trackback URI | Comments RSS