Who sets car insurance rates in Alberta?

​​Car insurance rates in Alberta are determined by a few key factors:

• Car Insurance data - This relates to the frequency and amount of car insurance claims that auto insurers have dealt with in the area where you’re insuring your vehicle. Studies show if you reside in a busy city, such as Calgary or Edmonton, you are more likely to be involved in a car insurance claim than if you reside in a small rural community.
• Your personal driving history - The car insurance carrier you choose to place your business with will need to know your prior auto insurance claims history, as well as your ticket history.

If you’ve gone six years without an at-fault accident or three years without a ticket, you’ll be eligible for claims-free or convictions-free discounts from some of Surex’s car insurance carrier partners.

The type of coverage you’re looking for also influences your car insurance rates in Alberta. There are three types of auto insurance available to drivers in Alberta:

• Third Party Liability: this is the legal minimum of car insurance coverage needed in Alberta. Third party liability insurance aims to protect you if you are involved in an accident, and may have to make a payment to another party.
• Liability, Collision & Comprehensive: Also known as full coverage, this is the maximum auto insurance coverage available in Alberta.
• Liability & Collision OR Comprehensive: If you own your vehicle outright and are looking for more than the minimum amount of car insurance coverage, but not quite the maximum amount, this is where you’ll find what you need.

If you’re leasing or financing a vehicle, there’s a 99% chance that liability, collision and comprehensive coverage — full coverage — is required on the vehicle, as part of your leasing/financing agreement.

If you’re new to Alberta and your driving history from your previous country isn’t recognized/available, or if you’re a new driver altogether, an easy way to lower your car insurance rates as a new driver is by taking and passing a certified driver’s training course.

In Alberta, car insurers assign star ratings to drivers. The longer you’ve gone demonstrating great driving habits in Alberta (by not being at-fault in accidents and not getting tickets), then your driver star rating increases, which lowers your annual car insurance amount.

Taking and passing a certified driver’s training course increases your driver star rating by two stars. In essence, it adds two years of clean driving to your record. This increase in star rating can save you up to 15% off your annual car insurance rate in Alberta. 

Before you start looking at car insurance in Alberta, you need to be insured. There are three licensing stages in Alberta:

Stage 1. Learner

-The first step can be undertaken when you're 14 years old (or older). You'll need parental consent if you're under 18.

-Involves an eye exam and a driver's knowledge test.

Stage 2. Probationary

-For this test, you need to be 16 or older.

-You'll need to have had a learner's permit for 12 months

-Involves a basic driver road test

Stage 3. Full

-You need to have had a probationary license for 2 years

-You cannot have had any license suspensions in the last 12 months

-Involves an advanced driver road test.

If you're not sure what insurance options are available to you depending on what stage you're at, we can help you get car insurance in Alberta, no matter where you are in your driving career.

The easiest way to get cheap auto insurance rates in Alberta is by being a driver who is eligible for car insurance discounts. Having partnered with the top car insurance carriers in Alberta, Surex is able to offer an array of discounts to Albertans looking to lower their annual car insurance premiums. Auto insurance discounts include:

• Good credit discount - Car insurers in Alberta want clients that always pay their bills. Having a credit score above 650 (we will verify this by doing a soft hit of your credit score, with your permission) can save you up to 20% off your annual car insurance premium amount.
• Claims-free discount - If you’ve gone at least six years without an at-fault accident, this extended run of safe driving highlights to car insurers that the odds of you being at-fault in an accident are lower than normal. Because of this, some auto insurers will offer a claims-free discount to you, which can save you up to 10% off your annual auto insurance premium amount.
• Conviction-free discount - Another way to demonstrate that you’re less of a risk to auto insurers in Alberta is by going at least three years without a driving ticket (photo radar & parking tickets don’t count). Similar to a claims-free discount, a tickets-free discount can save you up to 10% off your annual car insurance amount.