Snowmobile Insurance

Ontario Snowmobile Insurance 

In the True North Strong and Free, it makes sense to have a winter hobby that gets you out and about during the winter months—and there’s nothing quite like jumping on your snowmobile and leaving fresh tracks in a smooth, sparkling blanket of snow. This means you can turn a situation that most people find inconvenient into a fun opportunity to engage in an exciting seasonal hobby. Luckily, Canada is one of the best places in the world for snowmobile enthusiasts to enjoy their favourite hobby.  

Ontario has some of the most picturesque snowmobile trails in Canada. More than 30,000 kilometres of interconnected, uncongested trails in Ontario are just waiting for you and your snowmobile. But snowmobiling isn’t without risks. Like any motorized vehicle, there’s a chance that you could be injured or damage your snowmobile—or injure someone else or damage their property. Whether you are sledding around your yard, taking your snowmobile for a quick spin, or going on a long trek in a well-treed winter wonderland, ensure you are appropriately insured by speaking with the experienced outdoor recreation insurance experts at Morison Insurance.

Ontario snowmobile insurance offers protection against liability claims and lawsuits arising from using your snowmobile up to the policy limits, so you don’t have to pay for legal costs and medical expenses out of your pocket. It also supports you if you are injured, or your snowmobile is damaged by helping to cover your own medical or funeral expenses.

What Is Snowmobile Insurance? 

With snowmobile insurance, you and your snowmobile are protected against potential damage and liabilities. Snowmobile insurance also covers bodily harm sustained to the driver and other individuals in the event of an accident. Types of coverage can include collision coverage, bodily injury liability coverage or property damage liability coverage. Your snowmobile is an important asset, and as a mobile machine, it’s vulnerable to damage—while at the same time, the driver and passengers are also susceptible to injury. Ontario snowmobile insurance helps owners mitigate damage to their property or others’ property or deal with harm to themselves or third parties.

Is Snowmobile Insurance Mandatory In Ontario? 

Yes and no. If you only use a snowmobile on your own property, you are not legally required to have Ontario snowmobile insurance. However, if you are taking your snowmobile onto someone else’s property or are going on public property such as a marked park, trail you are required to have your snowmobile insured. Personal private property and property operated for business or commercial reasons count for the purpose of being on someone else’s personal property. For these reasons, most snowmobile users will require snowmobile insurance to cover their vehicle use.

Who Needs Snowmobile Insurance In Ontario? 

Snowmobile insurance in Ontario is legally required if the vehicle leaves the owner’s property. With snowmobile insurance, you can protect yourself from any liabilities that may arise in the event of an accident. Without insurance, you could be liable for thousands of dollars in damages and medical expenses of anyone involved in the misfortune. Snowmobile insurance protects you and your dependents from the costs involved in being sued.

Who Is Eligible For Snowmobile Insurance In Ontario?

Almost anyone with a license to legally operate a snowmobile can be eligible for Ontario snowmobile insurance. There are multiple ways one can become legally able to handle a snowmobile. People aged 12 to 15 with a motorized snow vehicle operator license are eligible. Anyone over 16 years of age with a valid driver’s license is also able to operate a snowmobile. However, the eligibility and rates of each individual will be assessed based on factors such as their past claims history and how they choose to use their snowmobile. For example, racing is not an activity that is covered under a typical snowmobile insurance policy.

What Does Ontario Snowmobile Insurance Cover? 

There are a large variety of claims that can be covered by Ontario snowmobile insurance, allowing you to customize your snowmobile insurance package to your needs based on how you decide to use your snowmobile. The minimum snowmobile coverage required for Ontario snowmobile insurance includes liability coverage, accident benefits, direct compensation damage and uninsured automobile coverage. However, those are only the minimum—you will likely want optional coverages on your policy, such as collision or upset, comprehensive and more. Here is more information on the coverage options for snowmobile insurance in Ontario.

Liability Coverage

Third-party liability insurance protects you from financial losses if you cause injury to someone else or damage their property in an accident. When you are liable for injury, death or property damage, your liability insurance covers medical fees. It also protects your legal defence costs should the other person file a lawsuit against you. There are two main types of third-party liability coverage for Ontario snowmobile insurance:

• Bodily Injury Liability Coverage: If you cause injury to another person in an at-fault snowmobile accident, this coverage will help you pay medical expenses to treat their injuries.
• Property Damage Liability Coverage: If you get into an at-fault accident and cause damage to someone else’s property, this coverage assists you with paying for repairs or a replacement out of your pocket.

Accident Benefits Coverage 

Accident benefit coverages are a mandatory part of your Ontario snowmobile insurance policy that protects you and your estate from paying for various costs you may incur after being injured in a snowmobile accident. That includes the cost of your medical treatment and rehabilitation and funeral expenses if needed, up to the policy limits. It also includes payments in the event of death or if you lose income because you’re unable to work due to injuries you get from being injured in your snowmobile. There is also enhanced accident benefits coverage for all of the above circumstances.

Direct Compensation Coverage 

If your snowmobile suffers physical damage and you are not at fault, if the other person is identified and insured in Ontario, direct compensation will get your sled up and running again so you can hit the trails again. Since you deal directly with your insurer to get compensation for the damage, the claims process is much simpler and usually faster. Don’t let someone else’s poor judgement or lack of skill take you off the snow for an entire season or even longer because you didn’t have this mandatory Ontario snowmobile insurance coverage.

Uninsured or Unidentified Snowmobile Coverage 

Even if you’re a cautious driver who takes every reasonable safety precaution to avoid anything going wrong, things can still go south. No matter how careful you are and how many years of experience you have, you don’t know who else is on the trails with you, and there’s no way to control someone else’s bad decisions or lack of foresight. What happens if you and/or your passenger are injured in a collision, and the person at fault is uninsured? What if an unidentified driver committed a hit-and-run? That’s when your uninsured snowmobile coverage kicks in. Your insurer will compensate you with payments for medical expenses or funeral costs and may also cover certain types of damage to your snowmobile.

Can I Get Additional Snowmobile Insurance Coverage? 

Yes, you can get many forms of additional Ontario snowmobile coverage. There are a handful of possible coverages, which you can fix and match according to your needs. If you need help determining which type of coverage is correct for you, a member of our team at Morison Insurance will be happy to help you.

Collision or Upset Coverage 

There’s always the chance of a collision with an unexpected object, especially if you’re out on public property. If you collide with a vehicle or other object and your snowmobile receives damage, collision or upset coverage will give you the financial protection you need.

Specified Perils Coverage 

Even if you do everything in your power to ensure your safety and everyone else does the same, there is still the risk of something going wrong. Nobody can control the weather, for example. In the cases of hail, flood, fire or theft, specified perils coverage will ensure you are compensated. 

Comprehensive Coverage 

As much protection as the two above forms of coverage grant you, there are still numerous ways you could incur a cost with your snowmobile that isn’t covered by collision or upset coverage or specified perils coverage. 

How Much Does Snowmobile Insurance Cost In Ontario?

Understandably, you want to know your Ontario snowmobile Insurance quote upfront to budget for it. However, there are so many potential variables for your policy there’s just no way for us to give you a remotely accurate snowmobile insurance cost quote without knowing more about your particular needs and circumstances. Once you’ve spoken with a Morison Insurance broker, we can start finding the best possible Ontario snowmobile insurance quote. The cost of your premiums will be influenced by factors such as:

• Driver’s age
• Years of experience
• Past claims history
• Value of snowmobile
• Type of engine and cc’s
• Level of extra protection and optional coverage desired

Please note, that this is not an all-encompassing list, and there are other factors as well. Here is a range of how much you can expect to pay for your snowmobile, depending on the model. Once again, despite being large ranges, please understand that these are only estimates, and your Ontario snowmobile insurance quote might still fall out of this range.

Can Snowmobile Insurance Be Part of A Bundle In Ontario? 

Bundling home and auto insurance policies with the same provider can be a great way to save money. Both standalone and bundled are good choices for insurance when it comes to your snowmobile coverage. Suppose you prefer a standalone policy for Ontario snowmobile insurance, or it is the option that makes the most sense for your particular insurance needs. In that case, it’s a perfectly valid choice. Bundling your snowmobile insurance with your home or auto insurance policy is also possible, and you may get a small discount by avoiding the standalone surcharge. But whether to go with a standalone or a bundle should consider what offers the best coverage. Not sure what to do? Consult a knowledgeable broker at Morison Insurance who can determine the best course of action to ensure you have all the snowmobile insurance coverage you need.

Can I Get Snowmobile Insurance That’s Only Active During The Winter?

It makes sense to ask—while the Canadian winter can be notoriously long, it doesn’t last forever, and you can’t use your snowmobile throughout the summer or most of spring and autumn. Since the risk of something involving your snowmobile is almost zero for large portions of the year, as long as you perform proper snowmobile maintenance it would make sense for snowmobile coverage to focus exclusively on colder months. Even though it’s a winter-specific machine, snowmobile insurance in Ontario is issued on yearly policies, so they can’t be suspended in the spring and renewed again in the fall.

Do I Need Snowmobile Insurance If I Only Use It On My Own Property?

You are not required to have snowmobile insurance in Ontario as long as the registered snowmobile owner is driving only on their own private property. While this might seem like a relief to some people who only want to snowmobile on their own property, it is very easy to accidentally expose yourself to uninsured risks if you assume this will never pertain to you.

To be clear, the person driving the snowmobile must be the owner of the property it is being driven on. Suppose you are riding around on your acreage and decide to take a shortcut back to your house via the shoulder of a public road, for example. In that case, that is not permitted without snowmobile insurance, as the shoulder of the road is considered public property. Here’s another scenario—say your cousin comes over for a visit and asks if he can take your snowmobile out for a ride. Even if he is careful to stay on your property, that is not permitted because the snowmobiler is not the property owner. For this reason, it is recommended that you get snowmobile insurance. If you would like to get a plan that only covers specific scenarios, your insurance broker at Morison Insurance will be able to provide you with a plan suited to your needs.

Where Can I Drive My Insured Snowmobile?

When deciding where to drive your snowmobile, keep laws and snowmobile safety in mind. You can legally drive an insured snowmobile on your own property or someone else’s private property (with their permission, of course). You may also drive them on private trails belonging to organizations that have issued you a valid trail permit, and in specified public areas, such as certain parks, that permit it. If you are unsure if a public area allows snowmobiles, it is recommended that you contact someone at your local municipality to find out. You may not drive your snowmobile on the pavement of public roads or the plowed shoulder.

Where Can I Buy Snowmobile Insurance In Ontario?

Contact the snowmobile insurance experts at Morison Insurance. We will ensure that you and your snowmobile are appropriately protected so that you can have peace of mind while on the trails. Contact us at 1-800-463-8074 or start by filling out the form on our website to get a snowmobile insurance quote. You’ll be glad you did!