Have you been charged with a DUI-related offense in Ontario, like Over 80, Impaired, or Refuse Breathalyzer? Are you wondering what to expect? If so, you’ve come to the right place.
First off, when you get charged with a DUI offense in Ontario, you get an automatic 90-day driver’s license suspension. You get this suspension even before you get convicted in court and, so, the suspension will show on your driver’s abstract immediately. That means that your current insurance company will know that you have an upcoming court date for an alcohol-related offense.
The automatic 90-day driver’s license suspension is called an ADLS suspension. The ADLS acronym is short for Automatic Driver’s License Suspension. It is considered an administrative suspension. Administrative suspensions don’t affect your car insurance rates in Ontario.
DUI Conviction
When you go to court and you get convicted of the DUI charge then you will have another suspension for your conviction. This court suspension will affect your car insurance rates, as will the conviction. The suspension will affect your rates for 6 years , whereas the conviction will affect your rates for 3 years.
High Risk Car Insurance
With a DUI conviction, most insurance companies in Ontario will not insure you. They will cancel your renewal. At this point, you will have to get a quote and set up a new policy with an DUI insurance Ontario broker. A DUI insurance broker is a broker that has experience setting up policies for high risk drivers.
It’s easy to find an Ontario DUI insurance broker. You can do a Google search or, even, request help from Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario.
Ontario DUI Insurance Rates
Now, you’re probably worried about what your DUI conviction will do to your car insurance rates. Here’s the good news – The rates may not be as bad as you think they will be.
If your driving record is clean otherwise, your rates after a DUI conviction will still be very reasonable, as there still are some high risk insurance companies that try to compete to get your business. These high risk companies includeJevco, Nordic, Echelon, Coachman, Pafco, and Definity.
Here’s some more good news. If you don’t live in the Toronto area, including the city of Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Pickering, and Markham, your rates will be relatively better. The further you are from Toronto, the lower your rates will generally be. So, for example, drivers in cities like Sudbury, Barrie, Windsor, and Ottawa pay less for DUI insurance than do drivers in Toronto.
Of course, if you have other tickets or accidents on your record, that compounds the rating and you do end up paying somewhat more. It still might be less than you expect, though. Call an Ontario high risk insurance broker to get a quote.
