Auto

An explainer on the Ontario government’s move to review highway speed limits

TORONTO – Ontario’s government plans to launch a review of speed limits on provincial highways, with the transportation minister musing that some of those roads can safely handle traffic at 120 kilometres per hour. Here’s a look at the context around the issue: HOW ARE SPEED LIMITS DETERMINED? According to Mohamed Hussein, a transportation engineering […]

By Greg Meckbach | May 6, 2019

4 min read

Auto

What your auto client may like about Ontario budget

Some Ontario motorists would like an auto insurance system that lets carriers offer lower rates to clients who use the carriers’ preferred collision repair or healthcare facilities, an Insurance Bureau of Canada official suggests. In its budget document tabled April 11, the Ontario government is promising to let auto insurers give clients more opportunities to […]

By Greg Meckbach | April 15, 2019

2 min read

Auto

Why this insurer is spending $20 million on bricks-and-mortar stores

When CAA Insurance clients want to visit an agent in person, company officials want those clients to feel as if they are in a home rather than an office. This is one reason CAA Club Group has spent $8 million over the past five years on upgrading stores. “Insurance is an important part of our […]

By Greg Meckbach | April 4, 2019

2 min read

Auto

B.C. legislature committee calls for no regulatory roadblocks to ride hailing

VICTORIA _ Premier John Horgan says ride-hailing will arrive in British Columbia this year following the release of an all-party committee report Tuesday that recommends few government restrictions on the services. “We committed to get this done,” Horgan said at a news conference. “I am absolutely confident that ride-hailing will be here in 2019.” The […]

By Greg Meckbach | April 1, 2019

2 min read

What this study says about replacing windshields for vehicles with driver-assist safety features

Camera calibration – which is required after replacing windshields on cars that offer advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) – is just as efficient using aftermarket replacement windshields as it is with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) windshields, according to a new study by Belron Canada. For Canadian auto insurers, the results of Belron’s study would mean […]

2 min read

How waiving this government fee could reduce auto premiums

If the Ontario government wants to take one small step towards reducing auto insurance premiums for its drivers, it might consider dropping its administrative charges for drivers and their insurers to obtain three-year driving records, one industry professional suggests. “Assuming the insurance company orders one [motor vehicle record, or MVR] for every driver, on every […]

3 min read

What this direct writer learned by starting up its own broker channel

We’ve all heard about multi-channel insurance companies that sell through the broker channel while at the same time beefing up their direct channel. But how about CAA Insurance, a direct writer that has become a multi-channel writer by building up its broker channel? CAA Insurance, the insurance arm of the country’s well-known auto club, has […]

3 min read

Insurer reveals distracted driving punishment statistics

Saskatchewan police impounded 87 vehicles because the driver was distracted, the province’s auto insurer announced. It is illegal in Saskatchewan to hold, view or manipulate an electronic communication device while driving. There is an immediate roadside vehicle impoundment if the driver is caught for the second time in a year, Saskatchewan Government Insurance noted Feb. […]

2 min read

Million litres of crude oil released in Manitoba train derailment: TSB

WINNIPEG – Investigators say at least one million litres of petroleum crude oil were released when a freight train derailed last month on a ranch in western Manitoba. The update from the Transportation Safety Board on Friday was the first indication of how big the Feb. 16 spill was near the small community of St. […]

1 min read

Why the large variance within Toronto of auto rates

If your client lives in an area where most people do not use their car to get to work, he or she could save money on auto insurance. Kanetix released Tuesday its annual InsuraMap, which the Toronto-based online auto insurance quote provider uses to depict how rates vary in Ontario by municipality and postal code. […]

By Greg Meckbach | February 26, 2019

2 min read