A "crash" course for drivers in Canada

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 2010, 20 per cent (1 in 5!) included at least one fender-bender within the last 10 years. Broken down by province and the percentage of quotes through Kanetix.ca that included an accident were:

• Alberta: 21%
• Ontario: 19%
• Quebec: 25%
• New Brunswick: 19%
• Prince Edward Island: 21%
• Nova Scotia: 19%

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, 20 per cent indicated that 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
• Being rear-ended
, and
• Weather-related accidents

The last one is interesting because January, February and December were the most popular months for accidents. Winter driving, with its ice, slush, snow and freezing rain, clearly takes its toll on Canadian drivers. Of all the accidents, 10 per cent happened in January, 9.8 per cent in December and 9.7 per cent in February.

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?

• Read: So you think you can drive?
• Read: Women are better drivers
• Read: Are teens becoming better drivers?

* 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 auto insurance quotes, Ontario auto insurance quotes, Quebec auto insurance quotes, New Brunswick auto insurance quotes, Prince Edward Island auto insurance quotes, 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 2010, completed online auto insurance quotes through Kanetix.ca.