Car insurance for Ontario drivers
Ontario motorists are required to carry auto insurance. A policy combines mandatory protection with choices that can affect limits, deductibles, benefits and coverage for damage to your own vehicle.
The building blocks should be reviewed separately: third-party liability, statutory accident benefits, uninsured automobile coverage, Direct Compensation–Property Damage (DCPD), optional physical-damage coverage and endorsements. A low premium does not show which protection has been selected, carried forward or declined.
Accident benefits are no longer one fixed package
For policies entered into or renewed on or after July 1, 2026, medical, rehabilitation and attendant-care benefits remain mandatory. Other statutory accident benefits—including income replacement, non-earner, caregiver, housekeeping and home maintenance, death and funeral benefits—are optional.
Ontario’s transition rules generally continue an existing policyholder’s previous benefit amounts at renewal until changes are agreed to in writing. That does not remove the need to review them. Optional benefits under the post-July 2026 rules apply to the named insured, their spouse and dependants, and people specified in the policy as drivers of the automobile.
Compare the available benefit amounts with income, household responsibilities and other resources without assuming that workplace or health benefits are identical to automobile accident benefits. The policy and selected endorsements determine the result.
Understand DCPD before declining it
DCPD may cover qualifying damage to the insured vehicle, its contents or loss of use when an Ontario accident involves another insured vehicle whose driver is at fault. Since January 2024, a policyholder may elect in writing not to recover under DCPD.
Before declining it, ask the broker to explain which losses would no longer be recoverable under that section and how collision coverage would—or would not—interact with the decision. DCPD and optional collision coverage do different jobs.
What affects an insurance review
An advisor will usually ask about each driver, the vehicle, annual distance, commute, location, driving history, prior insurance and how the car is used. Ride-sharing, delivery work, modifications, young drivers or a high-value vehicle can require additional questions.
Compare the policy, not only the price
When reviewing options, ask about third-party liability limits, mandatory and optional accident benefits, DCPD, uninsured automobile coverage, deductibles, collision or comprehensive protection, endorsements and important exclusions. Product availability and price depend on insurer underwriting and the accuracy of the information supplied.
Westoak can collect the required details, compare options from the insurers it works with and explain the practical differences before you decide. See the broader auto insurance overview or contact Westoak to prepare a submission.