Car insurance Scarborough, ON
Part of a series on car insurance rates in Ontario.
Fast facts about auto insurance in Scarborough
Average annual car insurance rate
Regular drivers in the city
Collisions per year (approximately)
%
Collision rate for the city (approximately)
Average age
Average household income
%
Unemployment rate
Population
Understanding car insurance in Scarborough, Ontario
Despite keeping its own name and local identity, Scarborough is now considered to be a part of Toronto itself. That’s why it has its own urban layout and its own traffic network. That’s why you don’t see as much highway integration with Toronto’s downtown core, which has the Gardiner Expressway.
You’ll find North York, East York (almost beside the Toronto core itself) to the west, Markham to the north, and Pickering to the east.
Scarborough’s car insurance rates aren’t as high as Brampton’s, but the commuting nature of the city does put it on the higher end of the spectrum. That means you’ll need to leverage discounts from driving schools, multi-vehicle policies, and home insurance bundles to keep
It’s well-situated for commuting since it sits in a junction of highways:
- The 401 leads to North York
- The Don Valley Parkway leads to Markham and to Toronto’s core
- Kingston Road lead into Pickering and Toronto’s core, too.
All of that commuting puts Scarborough’s drivers on the road for a long duration each day, which raises the level of road exposure (and therefore insurance risk) for a large chunk of the city’s population.
It only takes a single weekend trip down Scarborough’s section of the 401 to get a sense of how many cars travel it every day. It’s a lot, and that increases the chance of accidents (and claims) in the area.
Get your bundle on & save!
Want even cheaper insurance? Save up to 50% on home and up to 18% on car insurance when you bundle them.
Get your bundle on & save!
Want even cheaper insurance? Save up to 50% on home and up to 18% on car insurance when you bundle them.
Busting myths about driving and insurance in Scarborough
Myth: It’s hard to find a good driving school in Scarborough.
Scarborough has quite a few driving schools, which is good for your rates if you’re a new driver or have one in the family. AMB Driving School tends to be the favoured one. Crown Driving gets some positive reviews as well.
Myth: Scarborough isn’t safe.
False. Scarborough’s north side is actually quite safe. Certain areas toward the south-western and north-western corners have a tougher time with break-and-enters than the city’s eastern neighbourhoods. Car theft is incredibly low throughout the city as well, according to CBC’s Crime Map for Scarborough.
Myth: Major streets in Scarborouugh are dangerous.
False. Certain intersections with highway access can definitely be dangerous when drivers become distracted, but the roads themselves tend to have wide lanes that provide an extra layer of safety. Stay on the lookout while driving on Kingston Road,
Myth: It’s impossible to get cheap insurance in Scarborough.
Wrong again! Scarborough’s vehicle theft rates are pretty low, driving schools are in abundance, and public transportation is strong. All of those can be used to reduce road exposure (and by extension, your rates). Seriously, bundle your home, cars, and teen drivers into one policy to get the best rates possible.
How Scarborough’s rates compare to other cities in Ontario
- North York: $4,261
- Etobicoke: $4,199
- Brampton: $4,071
- Scarborough: $3,825
- East York: $3,605
- Woodbridge: $3,603
- Richmond Hill: $3,579
- Mississauga: $3,473
- Markham: $3,389
- Niagara Falls: $3,321
- Bowmanville: $3,308
- Peterborough: $3,259
- Pickering: $ 3,245
- Newmarket: $ 3,216
- Hamilton: $3,201
- Brantford: $ 3,158
- Maple: $3,150
- Whitby: $3,087
- Ajax: $3,053
- York: $2,999
- Toronto: $2,983
- Barrie: $2,924
- Thornhill: $2,871
- Waterloo: $2,867
- Caledon: $2,780
- London: $2,765
- Fort Erie: $2,720
- Oakville: $2,720
- Sault Ste Marie: $ 2,713
- Kitchener: $2,705
- Milton: $2,680
- St Catharines: $ 2,550
- Windsor: $2,536
- Woodstock: $2,513
- Innisfil: $2,505
- Burlington: $2,476
- Kingston: $ 2,360
- Cambridge: $2,297
- Oshawa: $2,295
- Guelph: $2,268
- Gloucester: $2,256
- Stoney Creek: $2,222
- Nepean: $2,196
- Ottawa: $2,195
- Sudbury: $2,005
- Kanata: $2,002
- Thunder Bay: $1,973
- Wasaga Beach: $1,958
Quick tips on driving in Scarborough
Drive around Scarborough’s arterial roads if you work locally.
Scarborough has the 401, Kingston Road, and the Don Valley Parkway running through it for better access to the rest of the Greater Toronto Area. All of them are busy and cause traffic back-ups.
Bumper-to-bumper traffic is how collisions happen, so steer clear of them. Even a fender bender can raise your rates a little on its own, but it could also end a claims-free streak that you might have (which usually brings a discount with it).
Avoid Scarborough’s worst intersections.
Scarborough’s intersections are notorious across the GTA for being tricky. Avoid these ones if you can:
- Kingston Road and Morningside Avenue
- Miliken Boulevard and Finch Avenue East
- McCowan Road and Alton Towers Circle
- Markham Road and Tuxedo Court
- Saint Clair Avenue East and O’Connor Drive
- Eglinton Avenue East and McCowanr Road
- Neilson Road and Mclevin Avenue
Give pedestrians extra time on crosswalks.
Scarborough’s roads are pretty wide, which is great for safety between vehicles. That also makes it difficult for people to cross the road before the light turns green again.
Parents with small children and the elderly may have a difficult time speed-walking to safety. Slow down, give them an extra 5-10 seconds, and make sure all crosswalks are clear before you pass through.
Watch out for cyclists weaving in and out of sidewalks.
Many people ride their bicycles to work in Scarborough, but the city itself doesn’t sport as man cycling lanes as you’d hope. It’s not incredibly safe for cyclists at particular intersections or on certain roads. That’s why some of them ride on sidewalks (despite the law). It’s hard to argue with safety, so just keep an eye out for them re-entering the road when they feel it’s safe to do so once again.
Sources for fast facts about Scarborough:
- Survey of 300+ Brampton auto insurance policy holders
- Stats Canada, 2016 Census Profile, Scarborough Agincourt
- Stats Canada, 2016 Census Profile, Scarborough Centre
- Stats Canada, 2016 Census Profile, Scarborough Guildwood
- Stats Canada, 2016 Census Profile, Scarborough North
- Stats Canada, 2016 Census Profile, Scarborough Rouge Park
- Stats Canada, 2016 Census Profile, Scarborough Southwest
- Ministry of Transportation Road Safety Report, 2016
- Stats Canada, 2016 Census Profile, Toronto
Source for average insurance rates by city:
- Survey of 2,800 auto insurance policy holders in Ontario
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