Published on July 19th, 2021 | by Sumit Bhowal

How Long Does A Car Accident Stay On Your Record In Ontario?

As a driver, you strive your best to adhere to the traffic rules and drive safely. However, accidents are unforeseen incidents that can befall you at any given instance. Even careful drivers might end up breaking the law. All these aspects ultimately take a heavy toll on your wallet when you renew your automobile insurance.

If you are involved in an accident, your insurance premiums can hike at an alarming rate. You might want to reach out to the insurance specialists like Surex for professional consultation regarding how to reduce your premiums. Also, visit their site if you’re looking for car insurance in Ontario.

All Drivers Should Know This…

A traffic ticket might remain on your driving record for the next three years. If you’re the one at fault in an accident, it might stay on your driving record for around six to ten years!

Accidents and tickets affect your insurance premiums. Your driving habits would eventually find their reflection on the insurance premium you shell out. If you have collisions and traffic violations, your record might not sit well with most insurance companies.

If you’re involved in an accident, make sure you inform your insurer about it as soon as possible. Although you would experience a sharp initial spike in the premiums, it would come down with each passing year.

Speeding Tickets And Driving Records

As per the Highway Traffic Act (HTA), convictions like speeding stay on the record for three years, beginning from the conviction date. This includes the date on which you accepted the infraction after paying the ticket. This would lead to an increase in insurance premiums, as the insurer would consider you to be a high-risk driver. The amount of increment depends on how fast you were driving, and of course, the ticket. In a nutshell, the poorer your driving habits are, the more you need to shell out.

Relation Between Demerit Points And Driving Records

Your insurance premium and demerit points do not share any direct relation. However, the situation would be different if you were to get your license suspended as a result of an accumulation of demerit points. These demerit points stay on your record for two years. Moreover, they keep accumulating with each infraction during driving.

It’s worth noting down that demerit points do not influence the insurance premium of your car. However, the premiums would be affected by the convictions that led to the accumulation of demerit points. As a driver, you must remember that speeding or other convictions may remain on the record for as long as three years. This indicates that these pitfalls would affect your record even after the demerit points get erased.

Besides, the higher your demerit points, the more your driving infractions. Drivers who have received several tickets or are involved in multiple accidents would eventually be blacklisted from the insurance market. This implies that you would have limited options for purchasing car insurance. Needless to say, you would have to shell out a higher insurance premium.

License Suspension And Demerit Points

As a car owner or driver, you may want to know the duration for which the demerit points remain on your record. If a driver in Ontario accumulates nine to fourteen demerit points, his/her license may be suspended.

You would also automatically lose the license if you manage to garner 15 demerit points. In such cases, the license suspension would reflect on your record for 6 years. You would also witness a significant increment in your insurance premium. Moreover, almost every insurer might limit your eligibility to purchase the coverages.

What Factors Determine The Impact On Your Automobile Insurance Policy?

A few factors decide the duration for which an accident or collision would affect the premium for your car insurance. Firstly, the insurers would check whether or not you are at fault. As you know, they have certain fault determination rules in place. Your insurer would consider these rules even if there is no police offense. Most insurers use these rules as a parameter to determine the party at fault.

In case you are at fault (either partially or entirely) in an accident, your insurance premium would increase at the next renewal. The insurance companies consider different variables such as your location or demographics while determining the new rates.

After you’ve paid the ticket following a traffic violation, you may still experience financial consequences. At the time of purchasing or renewing the automobile insurance policy, the insurer would get to know about the infractions. They obtain a copy of the record for each car owner.

While zeroing in on the car insurance premium, the insurers reward clean drivers with no violation under their names. However, if you have a few tickets or minor accidents, you would experience a slight increment in your premium. There would be a significant increment in the insurance premium if you have several infractions and demerit points,

How Can An Accident Affect Your Insurance Premium?

Being at fault during an accident might lead to an increment of around 20% to 200% in your insurance premium. It all depends on whether or not you continue with the same insurer. Again, if you are involved in more than one accident and happen to be at fault, the premium might double.

The situation may turn out to be problematic for you if you have speeding tickets under your name. Furthermore, it would be difficult for you to obtain automobile insurance at affordable rates.

Endnote

While certain insurers offer accident forgiveness to clean drivers, your record would determine your fate as far as the premium is concerned. In these situations, it would be wise to sit down with insurance specialists. Professional guidance and a clean driving record will help you reduce your premiums in the upcoming years. After all, it pays to talk to an expert who can help you manage your insurance premiums diplomatically.

Tags: Canada, car accident, Ontario, record

About the Author

Sumit Bhowal An Internet addict and a MASTAN , Also a lazy Freelancer . I don't try to reinvent the wheel I just like to soak things in Steroid's :p Thanks (y)