Driving Illegally in Ontario

[stinkypete]

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I'm not sure what the penalty for driving with just your G1 is. It's probably not as severe as it is for driving without insurance, but it still might be fairly severe.

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i'm pretty sure driving with just your G1 is driving without insurance

[ryanghall]

Screw that. What the insurance companies charge people to drive is bloody ridiculous.

I've driven for 11 1/2 years now. I'm almost 28 years old. I've *never* had an accident. I have had 2 minor tickets. I've never had a point off my licence.

I am charged over $150/month for insurance and I've damn sure looked around for a better deal. My insurance rate was recently increased significantly for the simple fact that I MOVED TO A DIFFERENT AREA TEN KILOMETRES AWAY. They said it's a "high traffic area" even though it's a) not and b) I have much less of a drive to work now. Apparently, this didn't figure in even though they said it made a "big difference". Insurance companies have made tens of thousands of dollars off me since I started driving (my insurance used to be higher).

My younger brother pays thousands a year for insurance. THOUSANDS. For the simple fact that he's a young male, and therefore is discriminated against by the insurance industry. They say "young males are more likely to get in accidents". Do statistics allow discrimination. In that case, I could come up with some really really interesting ones with respect to society for you. As well, why aren't senior citizens paying through the roof? They get in more accidents than anyone. Oh yeah, it's because they have nothing to do all day but lobby against anyone who tries to discriminate against them. My brother for a while (I think) seriously thought of driving without insurance.

I say go for it. Just drive responsibly. Try not to get pulled over. If you get a $5K fine, whatever. That's probably what you'd pay for insurance in a year anyway.

Screw insurance companies. I hate them.

[stinkypete]

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I am charged over $150/month for insurance and I've damn sure looked around for a better deal.

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whoopee... i pay more than 3 times that and have had zero tickets.

[HopeydaFish]

I just looked it up, and the *minimum* fine is $5000, but the court can impose a fine up to $25000 for a first offence. I imagine the $25000 fines are reserved for those who, in addition to driving without insurance, are involved in a an accident, or were pulled over for reckless driving when it was discovered they did not have insurance. The second offence has a minimum $10,000 fine and a maximum $50,000 fine.

While I agree with the poster that said that Insurance Companies make way too much money (which I wouldn't have a problem with if it weren't for the fact that they all collude to keep rates high) and are totally unfair in their rates, etc... I totally do not agree that someone should drive without insurance as some form of "retaliation" against the insurance companies. You won't really be hurting the insurance companies (your $2000 a year is a drop in the bucket to them), but you can seriously screw up your life by driving without insurance.

If you drive without insurance and get into an accident (and nobody *tries* to get in an accident, they sometimes just happen no matter how hard you try to avoid them), you might end up so screwed that you will wish that you died in the accident.

EVEN IF IT IS THE OTHER DRIVER'S FAULT -- if you're injured, you won't be able to get income replacement benefits AND you won't be able to sue the other driver. So if a drunk driver were to t-bone you, and you end up paralyzed and/or you end up requiring a long recuperation, you'll be out of luck.

If you are at fault, things will be even worse for you. The insurance company will sue you to recover any damages that the other party sustained, so you can kiss goodbye whatever assets you have. If you still live with your parents and are a dependant (and it sounds like you might be, because you only have your G1), your parents will be the ones who are sued and will be the ones who will potentially lose everything.

It's not worth driving without insurance. Don't try rationalizing it by telling yourself that the insurance industry is crooked. If you don't have insurance, you can destroy your life.

[HopeydaFish]

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I am charged over $150/month for insurance and I've damn sure looked around for a better deal.

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whoopee... i pay more than 3 times that and have had zero tickets.

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I pay $76/month. Are you guys driving Bentleys and Ferraris??? [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[jackdaniels]

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I am charged over $150/month for insurance and I've damn sure looked around for a better deal.

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whoopee... i pay more than 3 times that and have had zero tickets.

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If you have other insurance coverage talk to your broker about getting an umbrella policy. Not only will you be paying less for car insurance, side benefits include reduced rates on life and home insurance.

I am NOT an insurance broker.

[adamstewart]

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As well, why aren't senior citizens paying through the roof? They get in more accidents than anyone. Oh yeah, it's because they have nothing to do all day but lobby against anyone who tries to discriminate against them.

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Learn what you're talking about before you speak.

Seniors generally pay less for insurance because, although some (and I stress "some") may be at an increased risk to be in an accident... they rarely ever drive! Therefore, overall there less chance the insurance company will have to pay for them having an accident.

This is not to mention that most seniors are not at an increased risk of getting in an accident. They are usually cautious/slower drivers to begin with. (After all, if they weren't medically fit to drive, most would have their lisences revoked).

Finally, because of the above, seniors are rewarded with "Senior Bonses" offered by the companies for those who have proven extended periods of being accident-free. This is not to mention that seniors who own homes, etc will often take advantage of the "Multi-Policy Discounts" that most companies offer.

The fact is that YOUNG, MALE DRIVERS actually pay less than they statistically should! They ARE by far the most likely to get in accidents. The rest of the consumer population's rates, I believe, are actually slightly adjusted to subsidize the many accidents young male drivers incur.

You also forget that the majority of the auto insurance premium paid goes toward LIABILITY AND ACCIDENT BENEFITS. When severe accidents occur (and they do), these coverages cost millions of dollars. People (yourself included, I suspect) often mistakenly assume that the $1000 they pay in insurance is used to cover their $2000 vehicle for collision and comprehensive coverages. They forget about the BIG picture and more important insurance coverages that they are getting.

Look at your own auto policy... check out the breakdown of premiums and how much goes to each indivual coverage... you'll see....


Now, I'm not going to say that insurance companies don't profit. Insurance is a business, like any other. If the companies don't show a profit for their investors, the investors will invest elsewhere .... then the insurance industry couldn't survive.

Some of you may think this is a good thing ..... that is, until you try to buy a home ... or a car ... and the bank's won't loan you any money because you don't have insurance! Banks aren't gonna loan thousands of dollars unless it's a sure thing they won't lose money on it ... and you get into an accident, or if your house burns down, without having insurance.... you can't pay them back!

And obviously you'd be thankful for having insurance if you ever got in an accident and hurt or killed someone...

Also, don't go thinking that insurance companies are making as much profits as they please. Their profits are actually regulated by the government. Therefore, they are only allowed as much profit as the government will allow ... they're not carelessly robbing your pockets.


Adam

[adamstewart]

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While I agree with the poster that said that Insurance Companies make way too much money (which I wouldn't have a problem with if it weren't for the fact that they all collude to keep rates high)

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This is just not true.

Dammit, the general public would be a lot less skeptical if they learned to educate themselves.


Adam

[HopeydaFish]

Oh, and I hit a deer a few months ago that required $3000 in repairs to my car. The insurance company paid for it and my rates didn't go up when my renewal notice arrived last week. I pay about $900 a year in car insurance, so it will take about 3 1/2 years before the insurance company "breaks even" on this claim.

Now just imagine if I *hadn't* had insurance: I hit the deer (and I couldn't have avoided it, it just jumped out of the bushes in front of my car). An OPP officer happened to be driving by and pulled over. He wrote up a report and asked to see my insurance information when he did so. If I hadn't had it, he would have charged me with driving without insurance.

So...rather than having a car fixed for free (well, minus the $300 deductible), I'd have to pay this:

1) $3000 in repairs to my car.
2) $5000 fine for driving without insurance
3) Had my license suspended
4) And then would be considered "High risk" by insurance companies and have to pay the maximum possible rates for the next few years.

And this would be as a result of hitting a deer. Just imagine how much worse it would be if I had hit a human. [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[adamstewart]

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Oh, and I hit a deer a few months ago that required $3000 in repairs to my car. The insurance company paid for it and my rates didn't go up when my renewal notice arrived last week.

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Hitting a deer is a "comprehensive" claim (like theft, fire, or a broken windshield) - not a collision claim.

As everyone knows, collision claims affect insurance rates.

Comphrensive claims don't affect one's insurnace rates. However, if a perons has two or three comprehensive claims within a 3 year period, the company can force you to have a higher deductible. If you have 4 or more within a 3 year period, they may even deny you further comprehensive coverage. But again, your rates wouldn't be affected.


Adam