Since January 1, 2016, every company selling car insurance in Ontario has had to offer a discount to drivers who put winter tires on their vehicles. It's a simple idea with a bit of fine print, and the fine print changes from one insurer to the next.
What the rule does and doesn't do
The province requires insurers to offer the discount. It doesn't set the amount, and it doesn't give insurers a single list of conditions. Each company decides what the discount is worth and what you need to do to qualify.
It also doesn't make winter tires mandatory. Ontario doesn't require them by law. The discount is an incentive, not a rule you can be ticketed for.
How much it's worth
That depends on your insurer and your policy. Discounts are commonly a few percent of the premium, but there's no standard figure. Call your insurer or broker and ask what it works out to on your policy.
Keep expectations realistic. On most policies, one year of the discount won't come close to paying for a set of winter tires. Over the several winters a set lasts, it chips away at the cost of something you should probably have anyway.
What usually qualifies
Each insurer writes its own conditions, but most look for the same three things:
- Four winter tires. Two on the drive wheels won't qualify, and it's a bad setup regardless. Mixing tire types front to rear can make the car spin out, or plow straight ahead, when it starts to slide.
- The three-peak mountain snowflake symbol on the sidewall. It's a small outline of a mountain with a snowflake inside, and it means the tire met a standard snow traction test. A tire marked only M+S (mud and snow) hasn't passed that test, and most insurers won't count it.
- Installed for the season. Insurers set their own dates for when the tires need to be on the car, usually covering late fall to early spring. Ask for the exact dates on your policy.
All-weather tires are a grey area
All-weather tires carry the same mountain snowflake symbol as winter tires, but they're designed to stay on all year. Some insurers accept them for the discount. Others want dedicated winter tires. If the discount is part of why you're choosing between the two, ask before you buy, and get the answer by email if you can.
How to claim it
- Call your insurer or broker and tell them you have winter tires. The discount isn't applied automatically.
- Ask whether it starts right away or at your next renewal.
- Give them what they ask for. Some want the tire make and model, some want the purchase or installation date, some want a copy of the invoice.
- Have the tires on by the insurer's start date and leave them on until the end date.
- Keep your paperwork. If you have a claim during the winter period, the insurer may ask for proof the tires were on the car.
Questions worth asking your insurer
- How much is the discount on my policy, in dollars?
- What dates do the tires need to be on the car?
- Do all-weather tires with the mountain snowflake symbol qualify?
- What proof do you want, and when do you want it?
- If I have two vehicles on the policy, is the discount applied to each one separately?
- What happens if I have a claim during the winter period and the tires aren't on yet?
The better reason to buy them
The discount is the smallest benefit. Winter tires stop shorter and steer better than all-seasons on cold pavement, slush, snow and ice, which covers most of a Toronto winter. Avoiding one collision, with the deductible and the possible premium increase that come with it, is worth more than years of the discount.
If you buy or install a set with us, hang on to the invoice. It lists the tires, the date and your vehicle, which is what most insurers ask to see.
