Am I Covered If My Car Falls Through The Ice?

Living in a winter climate like Ottawa brings many great outdoor winter activities like skating, skiing, ice fishing and more. For the most part, the thought of your auto insurance when enjoying some of these activities is not a thought at all. However, what happens if the thought becomes a reality?

What happens if your car falls through the ice?

If you have auto insurance, and you are paying for either Specified Perils, Comprehensive, Collision, or All Perils coverage, chances are, if the car falling through the ice was accidental, your insurance company would pay out the claim.

It may surprise some, since driving on the ice may be a risk not worth taking, but under your Ontario Automobile Policy (OAP1) if you have any of the aforementioned coverages, “sinking” might be covered.

How the car fell through the ice is the reason for the words “might be”.

Under section 7.2.2 of the OAP1, they list “Loss or Damage We Won’t Cover”. In this section, they specifically list that if you are convicted of “Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle”, that they will not pay for loss or damage of the vehicle.

To put it simply, if you are driving on the ice, and are taking reasonable precautions and have your vehicle fully insured, (talk to your broker), chances are, you have nothing to worry about.

If you are driving on the ice, and operating your vehicle in a matter that could get you charged and convicted of “Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle”, chances are, you have reason to worry.  You might be on the hook for the loss or damage to your car.

To find out if your car has the coverages that might cover you while driving on ice, contact us at Rhodes & Williams

Brian Cummings

Account Executive