Stay in your lane: Unusual driving laws in Canada
Getting a driver’s license is an important milestone. However, the promise of freedom afforded to a young driver o...
Visit your province's government-sanctioned insurance website to get an auto insurance quote.
Get QuoteReady to hit the open road in Manitoba, the land of 100,000 lakes? You’ll need car insurance. In Manitoba, auto insurance is provided by a provincial agency, Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI). That means LowestRates.ca can’t provide auto insurance quotes to Manitoba drivers.
MPI has a car insurance calculator tool to help Manitoba drivers estimate their insurance costs. Click the “Get Started” button above to use the calculator and get an estimate for your Manitoba car insurance costs.
However, there are things you can do to reduce your auto insurance costs even with Manitoba’s public car insurance system. Below you'll find information that will help you as you go about getting a car insurance policy in MB. Read on to get the facts and save money.
have compared rates and saved money over the last 24 hours
Car insurance rates in Manitoba, which has a government-run auto insurance market, are among the most affordable in the country.
Compare the average Manitoba insurance rate to other provinces:
Province | Average Yearly Rate 1 |
---|---|
Ontario | $1,505 |
British Columbia | $1,832 |
Alberta | $1,316 |
Newfoundland & Labrador | $1,168 |
Manitoba | $1,140 |
Northwest Territories | $978 2 |
Nunavut | $963 2 |
Province | Average Yearly Rate 1 |
---|---|
Yukon | $812 2 |
Nova Scotia | $891 |
Saskatchewan | $1,235 |
New Brunswick | $867 |
Prince Edward Island | $816 |
Quebec | $717 |
1 Insurance Bureau of Canada, BC - Better Auto Insurance (2020)
2 Insurance Bureau of Canada, (2017)
It's easy — if you know how. Here are some of the best ways to lower your auto insurance premiums:
We'll show you the most competitive rates from all the top insurers. Now you can compare quotes all in one place.
Avoiding extra frills in your policy and paying for only the coverage you need will lower your premiums.
Your driving record impacts your rate. Fewer infractions and fines equals cheaper insurance.
Prompt payments can save you money on late fees and lower your premiums. Insurers love a good customer.
Adding a house, motorcycle, RV, or other type of insurance policy to your car insurance plan can lower your rates.
Safety features like winter tires and alarm systems can help reduce your insurance premium.
Most auto insurance companies give special discounts to customers who stay with them for a number of years.
A defensive driving course makes you a better driver and can significantly reduce your car insurance premiums.
The math is clear: more experience on the road equals lower car insurance premiums. Young drivers almost universally pay higher rates for car insurance. While it’s difficult for new drivers to secure cheap car insurance rates, you may be able to lower your rates by maintaining good grades and attending driving school.
Where you drive affects your premiums. Some areas are associated with higher rates of car accidents and theft.
Cars with high crash-test scores, low theft ratings, and less powerful engines tend to have cheaper insurance rates.
With a usage-based car insurance policy, you can turn your low-risk driving habits into lower premiums.
Manitoba operates under a no-fault insurance system. You receive compensation from your insurance plan regardless of who's at fault in the accident.
Private auto insurance companies don’t operate in Manitoba. Manitoba Public Insurance is the province’s sole provider of car insurance, which is called Autopac.
To get coverage, you need to contact an independent Autopac broker. Manitoba has more than 300 car insurance brokers who are licenced to sell Autopac coverage. Find one near you with this tool from MPI.
MPI provides car insurance quotes to Manitoba drivers. To get your quote, click on the “Get Started” button above. You’ll be directed to MPI’s car insurance calculator.
You must be at least 16 years old, 15.5 if enrolled in the High School Driver Education Program.
There are three stages to getting a full license in Manitoba.
Class 5L (Vehicle Learner's Licence): To earn your 5L, you have to pass a written test. To drive with your 5L, a supervising driver, who has held a full licence for at least 3 years and maintains a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05 or less, must be in the front seat. When you drive with your 5L, you must maintain a 0.0 BAC. After nine months, 5L holders are eligible to take the class 5L road test.
Class 5I (Vehicle Intermediate Stage Licence): Acquired after you successfully complete a road test. Drivers with the 5I must have 0.0 BAC while operating a vehicle. The only passenger restrictions are from 12:00 AM to 5:00 AM, when there can be only one front seat passenger, or a supervising driver plus as many passengers as there are seat belts.
Class 5F (Vehicle Full Stage Licence): After you hold the 5I licence for a minimum of 15 months, you get your 5F full stage licence. And after 36 months with this full licence, you can drive with a BAC of up to 0.05.
New immigrants to Manitoba can drive with their licence from their home country for three months. After that, they must surrender their old licence and apply for a Manitoba licence at an MPI Service Station. For a reduction in car insurance rates, new immigrants in Manitoba should obtain a record of their insurance history to prove that they have a good driving and insurance history.
Manitoba has a government-run auto insurance market. Drivers must purchase their policy from Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI), a Crown corporation.
Since 1971, private car insurance companies have not operated in Manitoba. If you don't like your premium or your coverage, you can't shop around and switch insurance companies. However, car insurance in Manitoba is more affordable than in many other provinces with public or private systems.
To get an estimate of the price of car insurance in Manitoba, click the “Get Started” button above to use MPI’s car insurance calculator tool.
In Manitoba, automobile insurance rates are based on a variety of factors:
Auto insurance premiums in MB are trending lower. In summer 2020, Manitoba Public Insurance requested an overall rate decrease of 10.5%, the largest decrease in 30 years.
While not having the ability to compare auto insurance online makes it hard for Manitoba drivers to know whether they’re getting the best rate for car insurance in Manitoba, there are many ways to get cheaper auto insurance in Manitoba:
Car insurance for high-risk drivers in Manitoba is inevitably more expensive. High-risk drivers can expect to pay up to $3,000 a year for coverage.
Yes. You're required to get a minimum mandatory level of insurance coverage from Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI).
Here's what the basic Autopac plan from MPI includes:
Third-party liability insurance in Manitoba with a mandatory minimum of $200,000: Covers you if you injure other people or damage property with your vehicle.
All perils coverage (mandatory minimum of $50,000 per vehicle): Insures your vehicle and any permanently attached equipment against accidental loss or damage in Canada or the U.S. You pay the deductible plus any depreciation, and your Autopac coverage pays the rest.
All perils coverage in Manitoba is a combo of comprehensive and collision coverage. All perils insurance covers physical damage (the collision aspect of your Manitoba coverage) and other causes of damage, such as vandalism, theft, hail and fire (covered by the comprehensive side of your Manitoba policy). If your vehicle is damaged, your all-perils coverage pays to restore it to its pre-accident condition. But if your vehicle is beyond repair, your all-perils coverage will pay to replace it entirely.
Personal Injury Protection (PIP): Compensates Manitobans for losses or injuries they incur from an automobile accident, regardless of who was at fault. In the case of catastrophic injury, the plan covers income replacement, personal care, permanent impairment and special circumstances (transitional expense coverage). It extends to all Manitoba residents who get injured in an accident, either in Canada or in the U.S.
Residents of Manitoba receive accident benefits from the MPI (which extends to non-drivers as well):
Medical payments: No limits.
Funeral expenses: Up to $8,301.
Disability income: 90% of net annual income up to $93,000/year; payable only after seven days of disability.
Impairment benefits: Minimum of $760/week; up to $152,281 for non-catastrophic injury and up to $240,454 for catastrophic injury.
Death benefits:
Alexandra Bosanac
About the Author
Alexandra Bosanac is the Core Content Manager for LowestRates.ca. Her reporting has appeared in Canadian Business, the Toronto Star, the National Post, and the CBC.
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