CAR INSURANCE AAAARRRRGGGGG!!!!
Jan 23rd 2009, 8:49 pm
#47
Born again atheist
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Europe (to be specified).
Posts: 30,259
Re: CAR INSURANCE AAAARRRRGGGGG!!!!
Here are some stats that illustrate yearly mileages in the US - maybe representative of Canadian driving habits too?
This one (albeit wiki) claims the UK average is 13500 km. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Prius So, less, but not much so. Certainly not enough to compensate the difference in fuel prices.
(OK, engine sizes are indeed smaller in the UK too).
Last edited by Novocastrian; Jan 23rd 2009 at 8:57 pm.
Jan 23rd 2009, 9:48 pm
#48
Account Closed
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 26,319
Re: CAR INSURANCE AAAARRRRGGGGG!!!!
This link http://www.caa.ca/documents/2007-04-...ochure2007.pdf seems to suggest that the Canadian average is 18,000 km or 11,250 miles.
This one (albeit wiki) claims the UK average is 13500 km. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Prius So, less, but not much so. Certainly not enough to compensate the difference in fuel prices.
(OK, engine sizes are indeed smaller in the UK too).
This one (albeit wiki) claims the UK average is 13500 km. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Prius So, less, but not much so. Certainly not enough to compensate the difference in fuel prices.
(OK, engine sizes are indeed smaller in the UK too).
Jan 23rd 2009, 10:18 pm
#49
Born again atheist
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Jan 23rd 2009, 11:46 pm
#51
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Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
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Re: CAR INSURANCE AAAARRRRGGGGG!!!!
I think a couple of reasons for the accident rate in Canada might be:
- less roads and more cars. Yes, it's a big country but mostly uninhabited, the population density, and especially the vehicular density, in the inhabited bits is huge; the 401 carries three times as many vehicles as the M25.
- the immigrant population. Everyone drives as they would at home. Italians can get away with driving fast in Italy because everyone does it, that style of driving clashes with that of people from ox cart economies.
- weather. Every single day I see a vehicle that's gone into a ditch, some of them must hit something on the way.
Insurance premiums are high, I think, because there are a lot of accidents and it's a litigious society, people routinely sue over any dispute.
- less roads and more cars. Yes, it's a big country but mostly uninhabited, the population density, and especially the vehicular density, in the inhabited bits is huge; the 401 carries three times as many vehicles as the M25.
- the immigrant population. Everyone drives as they would at home. Italians can get away with driving fast in Italy because everyone does it, that style of driving clashes with that of people from ox cart economies.
- weather. Every single day I see a vehicle that's gone into a ditch, some of them must hit something on the way.
Insurance premiums are high, I think, because there are a lot of accidents and it's a litigious society, people routinely sue over any dispute.
Jan 23rd 2009, 11:57 pm
#53
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Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
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Re: CAR INSURANCE AAAARRRRGGGGG!!!!
Oh good Lord, no. The pace of driving in Canada is such that I'd die of boredom were I not eating, drinking, phoning and flossing. It's when driving that I most regret not smoking, I have nothing to do with the hand not holding the phone.
Jan 24th 2009, 12:11 am
#54
Born again atheist
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Europe (to be specified).
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Re: CAR INSURANCE AAAARRRRGGGGG!!!!
I forget if your Beetle has tinted windows? If it does I have a suggestion.
Jan 24th 2009, 12:21 am
#56
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Jan 24th 2009, 9:58 am
#59
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Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Sidcup,
Posts: 37
Re: CAR INSURANCE AAAARRRRGGGGG!!!!
We are relocating to Canada this year, just as soon as we sell the country pile. My wife has been reading some real horror stories about insurance costs in Canada, the figure of $1800 was mentioned and that set the alarm bells off :curse:. We will be living in or near Saskatoon, my wife is flapping like a big bag of flappy things about haw much the car & house insurance is going to cost (we live in France at the moment and insurance is NOT expencive) Can anybody cast some light on the murky place called "Insurance"? 
This might explain it.
Jan 24th 2009, 3:11 pm
#60
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,054
Re: CAR INSURANCE AAAARRRRGGGGG!!!!
I think that you have to look at the entire cost of motoring. Insurance is higher (In BC I'm paying about 1600 per year for an 03 Audi A4) but no road tax. Manchester is likely going to introduce a 5 quid a day fee to enter the city centre.
Gas, as we all know is cheaper; and vehicles themselves are generally cheaper. Even pay parking in the cities is cheaper. I had a shock in Manchester last year when i payed 8 quid for a couple of hours. I live in downtown Vancouver and only pay $35 per year that allows me to park in permit designated areas and never have probs finding parking. Prior to that i had off street parking for about 40 per month.
The problem is I think Brits tend to get carried away when they come over and buy bigger, less economical vehicles than they would have in the UK; thus, losing any gains over what they would have been paying in the uk.
I think if you were to a own a comparable vehicle to what you owned in the UK, you would come out ahead.
Gas, as we all know is cheaper; and vehicles themselves are generally cheaper. Even pay parking in the cities is cheaper. I had a shock in Manchester last year when i payed 8 quid for a couple of hours. I live in downtown Vancouver and only pay $35 per year that allows me to park in permit designated areas and never have probs finding parking. Prior to that i had off street parking for about 40 per month.
The problem is I think Brits tend to get carried away when they come over and buy bigger, less economical vehicles than they would have in the UK; thus, losing any gains over what they would have been paying in the uk.
I think if you were to a own a comparable vehicle to what you owned in the UK, you would come out ahead.