A new survey released on Tuesday shows that in spite of measures taken by the provincial government, auto insurance rates in the Greater Toronto Area remain stubbornly high.
Insurance-shopping service Kanetix.ca is out with its annual review of car insurance premiums, which also finds Brampton has the highest prices in Ontario.
Kanetix calculates an average price for a 35-year old driver (with no dermit points or tickets) at roughly $1,450 per year -- down $90 from when the survey was done in 2015.
Brampton's average rate of $2,392 is virtually unchanged from last year and comes in at 2-thirds over the provincial average.
The City of Vaughan comes second, at $2,019 per year, followed by Mississauga's annual average rate of $1,930.
White believes it is the sheer number of auto insurance claims in Brampton that keep premiums there the highest in Ontario.
Kanetix finds rates in other cities in the GTA have fallen slightly, in the wake of new provincial regulations.
Places like Richmond Hill and Toronto have seen modest reductions in premiums, but those are well short of the 15 percent that was promised by the Ontario Liberals.
Some of the more affordable places to insure a car that are within "commuting distance" of Toronto include Stouffville (2.5%+) and Ajax (7.5%+).
Kanetix finds the Quebec border-town of Hawkesbury has the lowest car insurance rates in Ontario, at around $950 per year.
|
Rank |
City |
Estimated Premium* |
Compared to provincial average |
|
1 |
Brampton |
$2,392 |
65% higher |
|
2 |
Vaughan |
$2,018 |
39% higher |
|
3 |
Mississauga |
$1,930 |
33% higher |
|
4-a |
Toronto |
$1,886 |
30% higher |
|
4-b |
Markham |
$1,886 |
30% higher |
|
6 |
Richmond Hill |
$1,783 |
23% higher |
|
7 |
Hamilton |
$1,683 |
16% higher |
|
8 |
Pickering |
$1,593 |
10% higher |
|
9 |
Ajax |
$1,556 |
7.5% higher |
|
10-a |
Bradford |
$1,484 |
2.5% higher |
|
10-b |
Stouffville |
$1,484 |
2.5% higher |