Auto Insurance Deductible For A Preventable Accident

Estimated reading time: 13 minutes

Paying an auto insurance deductible means that something happened, and if you want it fixed, you have to pay.

If you haven’t guessed, I was in a vehicle accident on Mother’s Day, May 9th, 2021, that was preventable and still boggles my mind.

The relieving part was that no one was injured physically or mentally, and emergency services needed dispatching.

Lastly, I got stuck paying a $500 auto insurance deductible to fix my truck.

I despise driving sometimes, especially when drivers fail to follow the rules.

I’m not giving you all the details, but envision the situation in your mind as I take you back to Mother’s Day 2021.

Mother’s Day was supposed to be a nightmare for her and an expensive ride.

Like any insurance company, the auto insurance industry is complex and comes with lots of fine print.

Always ask your insurance agent questions about your policy if you find them unclear.

Accidents I’ve Been In: Auto Insurance Deductibles

Since moving to Canada, I’ve been in 4 vehicle accidents, all of which were NOT my fault (in my opinion).

• A deer jumped across the road but hit my truck, smashing through the windshield and the driver’s side window. (yes, I almost shit myself) I’ve never encountered such a violent animal death and saw flashing lights in my eyes. I was bleeding quite a bit, and the cab was filled with deer poo. The worst part was that no one stopped to help us or ask if we needed help as I stood bleeding on the side of the road. If you remember my Freedom Mobile post, I didn’t even own a cellphone to call 911, but thankfully, someone did stop eventually.
• This particular accident I was driving straight and someone decided to pull out of a mall parking lot where our mirrors clipped each other. (Driver took off)
• The driver pulls out of his driveway and hits our legally parked vehicle. (No-Fault Insurance)
• I hit an illegally parked van with the right-side tires in my lane. As I moved over a bit, an oncoming vehicle was in the other lane. The dummy got out of his truck and walked right in front of me with a clipboard. I ended up sideswiping his truck and busting his mirror. This was my fault because he was parked illegally with NO PARKING signs.

So, that is my accident history in Ontario over the past 12 years. I’m a magnet for drivers who don’t care.

The Drivers or The Driving System Is Failing Us

This is where I find the system skewed because he could have killed himself, my family or the people in the oncoming vehicle. Yet, it was my fault he parked there.

If I sound sour, I am because it irritates me when people don’t use common sense while driving.

There was no time for me to slam the brakes on as it happened so fast, like the deer incident.

People were still parking illegally on the road as the police, ambulance, and fire trucks were on the scene.

Does that make ANY sense to you? Eight vehicles were parked in no-parking zones for a pleasant walk through the forest.

Of the eight vehicles, two were parked on the side of the road with tires in the lane.

The road is “S” curved, so drivers can’t see what is coming ahead until a vehicle rounds the bend.

There is a reason for the placement of NO Parking signs in various parts of cities throughout Canada.

The roads with no parking signs are accident-prone or unsafe, so it’s essential to follow the rules.

However, the officer said what he said and then managed to stick in to ticket the people illegally parking.

Yet the dummy I hit was NOT ticketed and told the officer that his mirror was only worth about $100.

He knew damn well what he did wrong, and with the number of emergency services that came out, he wanted to get the heck out of there.

If you’re wondering why the ambulance and fire arrived, it’s because my wife had a massive anxiety attack.

The accident caused Mrs. CBB’s blood pressure to skyrocket, so the paramedics worked to calm her down.

All on Mother’s Day.

Must-Have Auto Insurance Coverage In Canada

By law, our insurance company, Johnson Insurance, states that liability, uninsured automobile, accident benefits, and direct compensation are mandatory.

• Liability – protects you if you are in an accident, even if it was your fault, and includes the other persons and damage to another vehicle.
• Uninsured Automobile – protects you from injury and death caused by an uninsured person or vehicle.
• Accident Benefits – protects you no matter who caused the accident. It also includes protection against loss of work, medical bills, benefits for people who do not work, etc. (Optional in Nfld and Labrador)
• Direct Compensation is damage protection if another person was fully or partly at fault and is claimed under your insurer.

Types Of Auto Insurance Coverage

Johnson Insurance, for example, offers three types of auto insurance coverage.

• Comprehensive Coverage
• Collision Coverage
• All Perils Coverage

Comprehensive coverage covers fire, theft, vandalism, falling objects, windshield damage, and other types unrelated to a collision.

Collision Coverage pays for damage caused by a collision with another vehicle or object or if your car rolls over.

All Perils coverage is what we have, covering both collision and comprehensive with one deductible.

Accident Forgiveness

We have accident forgiveness with our auto insurance coverage, meaning they pretend it didn’t happen if we are involved in an at-fault collision.

Accident forgiveness means the insurance company will fix any damage to the vehicle and cover the deductible, which for us is $500.

Accident forgiveness also protects your driving record, ultimately determining your auto premium.

With Johnson, we have the Enhanced Accident Forgiveness, although they have others such as Preferred Accident Forgiveness and Accident Rating Waiver.

Rules Of The Road

One of the great things about moving from the UK to Canada was that I didn’t need to take a driver’s test.

I was stumped because I did not have to take any tests since Canada is far different from driving to the UK.

If we can do circles in massive round-a-bouts and follow red, yellow, and green, I suppose they figure we’re good to go.

Looking back 12 years now, I wish there was some form of a test that I had to take to ensure I understood driving in Canada.

There are many differences, and many drivers fail to follow the rules of the road.

I still criticize many drivers who can’t signal or blatantly make their road rules up.

Yes, I sometimes exceed the speed limit, but not excessively, since I like to keep up with traffic flow.

The police understand this, but the dummies stand out the most.

• Excessive Speed
• Weaving
• No Signalling or using hazard lights
• Failure to maintain the vehicle (brake lights, wiper blades, snow on roof, etc.)
• Distractive driving
• Illegal and Dangerous Parking
• Running red lights
• Not stopping at a STOP sign
• Failure to Yield
• Not understanding the rules of the road, including how to use a roundabout

I could go on and on, and although I’m far from perfect in Canada, all we have to do is drive straight.

Using Roundabouts And Our Horns

The good news is that we are seeing more and more roundabouts that are cost-effective for taxpayers.

Most importantly, the downside is drivers who do not know how to use them, which endangers everyone in the circle.

I use my horn and loud because too many people get away with the little things that can cause massive accidents and even death.

Some might call me an a$$hole, but the reality is, what if someone is killed or injured?

Then who’s the idiot, you or the person not following the rules of the road?

Driving isn’t a system where we get to do whatever we want just because.

It doesn’t work that way, and it irritates me to no end, but I’m not the police.

Auto Insurance Deductible

• What is a deductible in car insurance?
• What should my Collision deductible be?

These are great questions, and often, people get stumped on what to choose.

In my opinion, it depends on two things.

• What you can afford for an auto insurance deductible
• The value of your vehicle

We chose a $500 deductible over the $250 and $1000 we saved as projected expenses.

Choosing a low auto insurance deductible may increase your auto insurance premium.

The higher the auto insurance deductible you choose, such as the $500 or $1000, the lower the premium.

Ways To Save On Auto Insurance

Other ways to lower your insurance premiums besides the higher auto insurance deductible.

• Winter Tires may get you a discount. Let your insurance company know.
• Being a loyal customer for more than three years, you get loyalty rewards.
• Bundle discount (house and home etc.) We have our services bundled
• Group Discount is what I get being part of my employer’s group discount
• Multi-Vehicle Discount is when you insure more than one vehicle.
• Retiree Discount is for retired folks who no longer need to drive to work
• Student Discount is an auto insurance discount for students who live away from home and put on their parent’s policy. The parents will get a lowered premium.
• Stability Discount (this is for having been part of the Johnson family for more than 3 years)

Remember this is for Johnson Insurance, which we go through, so your auto insurance company may differ.

Auto insurance companies in Canada are very competitive, so you’ll find that most companies offer these types of discounts.

Read your insurance company’s website for all the details and choose an insurance deductible and plan that works for you.

Our Auto Insurance Deductible Accident Expenses

We paid $500 for the auto insurance deductible when everything was said and done.

Our 2017 vehicle had nearly $3000 worth of damage that needed repairs from the dealership.

I forked out extra insurance coverage for the rental vehicle, which was paid for by our insurance company.

If I remember correctly, the extra insurance was around $89 for the few days we had the vehicle.

P.S. – The rental had a no-smoking sign, fresh packs of trial wipes, and smelled like smoke.

See, even a simple rule like NO SMOKING can’t be followed by car rental patrons.

Discussion: Share your auto accident history and what auto insurance deductible you had to pay. Have you changed your auto insurance deductible over the years?

Please leave me your comments below, and I’ll be sure to respond.

Thanks for reading,

Mr.CBB

Recent CBB Posts That You May Have Missed

Below is a recap of my blog posts in the past week.

Support CBB, and I’ll continue working to bring you the best information on frugal living and finance.

If you’re on Pinterest, follow my Pinterest Social Media Account. Let’s PIN together.

• How Saving Up Cash First Kept Us Out Of Debt +June 2021 Budget Update
• Death Is A Tax Windfall For The Canadian Government
• How To Use A Simple Spending Log (Free Budget Binder Printable)
• Radish Greens Sauteed To Perfection – Don’t Throw Out The Greens

Thoughts Corner

Life is so easy to give up on; however, if you settle, that’s where your dreams end.

It is unfortunate if you have something you want to do and cannot do for health reasons.

However, for those reading this, whether you have money or are disabled, follow the path.

Think of what you can do that fits your lifestyle or needs and is something you have the power to change.

Don’t give up. Never give up. Even a little hope is better than dropping the rope and letting go.

Frugal Recipe Idea

I’ve been saying for years now that I want to make a pot of Old-fashioned Goulash but haven’t found a recipe that appeals to me.

While looking through Pinterest, I think I’ve found what I’ve been looking for at dearcrissy.com.

One look at the recipe and you can tell it looks fresh and vibrant, as well as a bowl of food you want.

It’s all about coming up with just the right combination of red sauce, spices, pasta and ground beef to make the perfect goulash. 

Only 14 Ingredients To Make Old-Fashioned Goulash

With only 14 ingredients, I think I can handle making this, but I’ll have to share it with my neighbors since I’m the only pasta eater in the house.

However, gluten-free and keto pasta alternatives are available, making this a keto-friendly goulash recipe.

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 2 large yellow onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup beef broth
• Two 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
• Two 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Landscape And Garden Tip Of The Week

If you’re looking for an inexpensive DIY way to jazz up your front, landscaping using rocks is a fantastic idea.

It would help to consider things when adding mulch, soil, and rocks around a tree to keep it healthy.

Apparently, if you do this incorrectly, you can actually suffocate the tree and kill it. First of all, whether you can do this depends on your area/climate.

Budget 101

Saturday Search Term Giggles

These are keywords that readers typed into their search engine and landed on this blog.

I get quite a few of these daily and pick some of the best to feature right here.

• Men’s Cheap Flipflops – Splurge on shoes that are comfortable and will last (your feet matter)
• Copy Cat Tim Hortons Blueberry Muffins – I’ve only mastered my copycat version of the Chocolate Chip Muffins but I can certainly try Blueberry.
• Budgets Are Silly – Whatever you say is good with me
• New House smells like smoke – We went through this with our house, and perhaps I will share our experience in a blog post.

That’s all for this Saturday, CBB Friends.

Mr. CBB