So you think you can drive? A look at drivers in Canada
This is part of an advertorial, so I cut out the ad stuff. Anyone got stats for the missing provinces - or for some of the States? :)
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So you think you can drive? A look at drivers in Canada
Gregory Ellis
Have you ever wondered about the driving habits of people across Canada? Like which province's drivers are most likely to have tickets? ----- wondered and thought it would be fun-to poke fun, at some of the odd driving habits found across the country. Thankfully, no one is immune. All provinces have at least one oddity that makes you wonder, why is that?
As much as we'd like to equally and fairly make fun of the drivers in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Newfoundland and Labrador too, we've simply not got the information at our fingertips. So, count yourselves lucky! Because look out Alberta! Ontario! Quebec! New Brunswick! Prince Edward Island! And Nova Scotia! Here it comes...
What's up with tickets?
Of the total car insurance quotes completed online in 2006, 16 per cent included at least one ticket. Surprised? Does it seem high or low to you? The answer, we're sure is open to much debate.
So now that you know the percentage for the country as a whole, how do the individual provinces rank?
• Alberta: 17% of Alberta quotes included at least one ticket
• Ontario: 16% of Ontario quotes included at least one ticket
• Quebec: 15% of Quebec quotes included at least one ticket
• New Brunswick: 12% of New Brunswick quotes included at least one ticket
• Prince Edward Island: 9% of PEI quotes included at least one ticket
• Nova Scotia: 8% of Nova Scotia quotes included at least one ticket
Sure you say, but what about drivers? After all, a quote can include just 1 driver or several. So when we look at the drivers in each province, what's up? Well, see the trend for yourself.
Of the total drivers in Canada in 2006 that were included in an online auto insurance quote through ----, 14 per cent included at least one ticket. But if you break this up by province:
• 16% of Alberta drivers had at least one ticket
• 14% of Ontario drivers included at least one ticket
• 14% of Quebec drivers included at least one ticket
• 10% of New Brunswick drivers included at least one ticket
• 8% of PEI drivers included at least one ticket
• 7% of Nova Scotia drivers included at least one ticket
Seems that drivers in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec are more likely to get a ticket. Some might even say (probably the folks from New Brunswick, PEI and Nova Scotia) that these three provinces have the worst drivers in the country!
Any way you cut it, it's a shame really, when you think about how tickets, especially multiple tickets, affect your auto insurance rates. Guess these drivers have money to burn. Speaking of "burn"...
Burn rubber! Get a ticket
Without fail, the most common traffic ticket entered across the provinces was for speeding. Apparently, we're speed demons. Too bad, when you consider that speeding is often cited as the cause of accidents which is not only a safety issue, but will also likely cause an increase in your auto insurance premium. So what's the rush? Slow down and avoid a pesky ticket.
What other tickets were common? As already mentioned, all provinces registered speeding (of less than 45 km/h over the posted limit) as the top ticket. But across the country, Canadians typically don't like to obey traffic signals or signs either. Every province had this infraction listed in their Top Five tickets obtained by drivers.
So now that we know the common tickets for each of the provinces, what about the differences in the Top Five tickets by province? Well, this is where it gets interesting:
• No one seems to like wearing seatbelts, except drivers in Quebec. Only in Quebec, was the infraction for not wearing a seatbelt missing in the Top Five. Good going Quebec! Wearing seatbelts can save lives. For the rest of us, buckle up!
• While Quebec drivers don't seem to mind wearing their seatbelt, they don't seem to like letting you know when they're planning on turning or changing lanes. Strangely enough, Quebec was also the only province to have "signalling offences" in their Top Five. Makes you wonder if that's why they wear seatbelts?
• Four out of the 6 provinces had a second speeding category included in their Top 5; speeding of 45 to 50 km/h over the posted limit. Only Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick did not.
• Interestingly though, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick drivers shared "Failure to carry/produce proof of insurance" in their Top 5. While it doesn't necessarily mean these folks are driving without insurance, it does mean they need to be shown where the glove box is! That's what it's there for, isn't it?
You're in the driver's seat
As unique as drivers are in Canada, there is still one universal fact; you must have auto insurance regardless of whether you live in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, or Nova Scotia. Another fact is that too many of us overpay for our auto insurance coverage because we simply do not shop around for the best premiums. Typically, this is a result of one of two widespread myths:
• It doesn't matter which insurance company provides the insurance coverage, you'll end up paying the same rate.
• Shopping around is for people with tickets or accidents only.
Believing these myths could be costing you money, each and every year. Even with a ticket or accident-free driving record, you may be paying way too much for car insurance because auto insurance rates vary wildly between companies, all for the same coverage.
Only by shopping around for auto insurance coverage and getting quotes from several insurance companies will you know you are getting your car insurance coverage at the best available rate. Don't pay more than you have to-shop around for your car insurance policy today.
