Accident Forgiveness in Ontario
Accident forgiveness can limit how a qualifying at-fault accident affects your insurance pricing with a particular insurer, but the details depend on the insurer's rules or endorsement.
Most insurers have some accident-forgiveness provisions or may sell an endorsement
FSRA advises consumers to ask how an insurer treats at-fault claims and under what circumstances it would not renew a policy. FSRA says most insurers have some accident-forgiveness provisions, or consumers may be able to purchase an endorsement for this protection.
FSRA — Purchasing auto insurance →What accident forgiveness usually tries to do
The basic idea is to prevent a qualifying first at-fault accident from producing the same premium consequence it otherwise might have with that insurer. Eligibility, number of forgiven accidents, driver history requirements and renewal conditions can vary.
Because insurer programs differ, Canada Rate Lab does not describe accident forgiveness as one standardized Ontario coverage.
Ontario also has a separate minor-accident rule
FSRA says insurers cannot use one qualifying minor at-fault accident every three years to increase premium when specific conditions are met. Those conditions include no insurer payment, no injuries, damage below the prescribed threshold and the at-fault driver paying for the damage.
That statutory/rating rule is separate from an insurer's broader accident-forgiveness feature or endorsement.
FSRA — Claims or accident forgiveness guidance →What happens if you switch insurers?
A forgiveness feature offered by one insurer should not be assumed to bind another insurer. A new company can apply its own approved rating and underwriting rules to the driver's history.
When comparing policies, ask whether the protection is included, optional, tied to continuous tenure or subject to eligibility rules.