True or false: You’re more likely to be involved in a serious car accident involving death or injury in the winter when roads are slick and driving tricky?

False. According to the most recent Road Safety in Canada* report serious collisions are on average most likely to happen in August.

Surprised? So were we, and you’ll likely continue to be surprised when you learn more about the peak times and places for serious car collisions.

Take the test. When do you think collisions are most likely to happen?

• Storm days versus clear weather?
  Clear weather has this one hands down. Approximately four out of five collisions occur in clear weather on dry road surfaces.



• Mondays versus Saturdays?
  Saturdays. The most accident-prone days of the week are Saturdays and Fridays. The safest are Tuesdays and Sundays.



• Rush hour versus any other time of the day?
  This one likely comes as no surprise. The peak time of day for collisions is between 3 pm and 6 pm.

Collisions in Canada

Every day in Canada there are 1,810 motor vehicle collisions. The good news is that most are not “serious”. In fact, according to the Road Safety report, over 77 per cent of all collisions involve property damage only.

How might a collision affect your insurance?

How an accident affects your insurance will depend on whether you were at-fault (even partially) or not at-fault. And if you were at-fault, it will depend on whether your insurer offers what is commonly called “accident forgiveness”.

For more information about accident forgiveness, check out the Kanetix article, “Accident forgiveness: The “new” approach to winning your business.”

If your current insurer does not offer “accident forgiveness”, an at-fault accident can be costly. How much could an at-fault accident end up costing? Consider our example: Using a 30-year old Ontario driver with a perfect driving record, quotes were obtained through Kanetix.ca and the following was noted when accidents were added:

• ONE at-fault collision increased the best quoted rate provided by 82 per cent


• Add another and the quote almost doubles!

Learn more how an accident might affect your auto insurance rate with the Kanetix article “Traffic tickets, fender-benders and your insurance”, or see for yourself: compare online car insurance quotes today.

Looking for more articles on cars, driving safety and your insurance?

• Read: Seat belt use and how it can affect your car insurance premium
• Read: Steer clear of cell phones: How taking a call while driving could raise your rates
• Read: Driven to distraction

* Road Safety in Canada – 2005, released in April 2008. Note: this study mostly looked at collisions of a serious nature, involving death and injuries.