So, you plan on making a road trip across the Canadian border.  If you’re in the Midwest or on the East Coast, you may plan on visiting Toronto, Montreal, or even Quebec City.  If you’re in Washington state you may plan on making a trip to Vancouver.  Whatever the reason, there are a couple things you should check before making this journey.  Firstly, you must ask yourself, am I covered in the event of an accident across the border?

Most American insurance companies will cover you while driving in Canada.  Actually, almost all of them will, but they do require you to have a few pieces of information on you while driving, including:

  1. Proof of U.S. citizenship: a passport or other travel document issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
  2. Proof of insurance: This is the standard insurance ID card you carry in the United States.
  3. Canadian insurance card: You’ll need to contact your auto insurance company in advance of your travels to obtain this card.

Now, items 1 and 2 should be obvious and self-explanatory, but item 3 may be new to most of you.  A Canadian insurance card is required by most insurance companies in order to be covered while driving in Canada.  As stated, this can be done by contacting your insurance company.  They should be able to issue you a Canadian Insurance card within a week.  This will protect you while driving across the border and give you the sense of security you need in order to enjoy your road trip to Canada.

The other important factor you must consider is the slight difference in traffic rules throughout Canada.  Here are a few things to remember:

  1. In the province of  Quebec, road signs are written solely in French, but for the most part, the meanings are obvious.
  2. The use of mobile devices is banned in all provinces.
  3. Speed limits are written in Kilometers throughout most of Canada.  Remember this in order to avoid speeding citations!

Hopefully these few quick tips will help you better enjoy your road trip to Canada.  If you have any more questions about your travel to Canada, please feel free to contact our agency at any time and we’ll be happy to advise you in any way possible!