A look at accidents in Canada*

Whatever you want to call it, an accident, crash or fender-bender, have you ever wondered how common mishaps are in Canada?

Accidentally speaking...

Of all the car insurance quotes completed online in 2011, 13 per cent included at least one fender-bender. Broken down by province and you can see that where you live may play a role in how likely you're to be in an accident:

  • Alberta: 13%
  • Ontario: 13%
  • Quebec: 15%
  • New Brunswick: 12%
  • Prince Edward Island: 12%
  • Nova Scotia: 11%
That's what the quotes showed, but how do the drivers rate? After all, a quote can include one driver or several.

Of all the drivers, regardless of where they lived, 11 per cent indicated they had been involved in an accident and of the accidents listed, the most common involved:
  • Hitting an object or other vehicle
  • Rear-ending another vehicle
  • Turning left, and
  • Hard to handle weather.
The last one is interesting. You'd think winter driving, with its ice, slush, snow and freezing rain, would take its toll on Canadian drivers but you would be mistaken. In fact, it is the spring and summer months when most accidents seem to happen. Of all the accidents listed in the quotes obtained by car insurance shoppers in 2011:
  • 22.3% occurred in December, January or February
  • 29.5% happened in March, April or May
  • 26.7% took place in June, July or August, and
  • 21.5% happened in September, October or November.

You're in the driver's seat

No matter what your driving history, whether you have an accident or not, compare auto insurance rates every year. It's the only way to make sure you are not overpaying for the auto insurance coverage you need.

Looking for more interesting information about drivers in Canada?



* Kanetix.ca thought it would be interesting to look at some of the driving habits found across the country. Before we get into the good stuff, Kanetix.ca offers online Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia auto insurance quotes. As a result, it is only drivers from these provinces whose aggregated data was used. The data comes to us from the collective group of drivers who, in 2011, completed online car insurance quotes through Kanetix.ca.


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