Car Insurance Sort Blog

The insurance industry in Ontario, Canada adds $4.1 billion to the GDP in that area.  Between car insurance companies, homeowners, and business insurance; the economic and social growth in the province is substantial.  A report said that property and casualty insurance added an additional $3.4 billion in an indirect way, making the total contribution more like $7.5 billion.  This information comes from the CNW Group press release “Insurance Industry is a Leading Economic Driver in Ontario: Conference Board.”  The Conference Board of Canada performed a study to collect this data, which has been released by Canada’s Insurance Board.

One of the largest contributors to this money is the jobs created both directly and indirectly in the Canadian province.  With 22,000 people directly employed and another 41,000 indirectly employed, insurance companies like State Farm car insurance help boost the economy.  In Ontario’s private sector, more that 2 per 100 people work for the insurance industry through corporate headquarters and small offices.  In addition to the $7.5 billion of contributions, the insurance industry in Ontario provides $3.7 billion in taxes and levies to the province.

Ten percent growth is expected by most of the companies within the next three years.  The majority of Canadian insurance companies have headquarters in Ontario.  With more than 6,000 insurance businesses, this industry employs over 77,000 people.  Ontario also has the highest wages of all Canadian provinces, a full 32% higher than the average.  This study is the first of its kind regarding insurance businesses, but strongly highlights the important impact created by car insurance companies, other property and casualty insurers, and the insurance industry in general in Ontario.

Would you believe that your kids are safer driving in the car with their grandparents than they are with you?  After comparing State Farm’s car insurance claim information, a team from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia came to this conclusion.  Zach Bowman’s Auto Blog found this research in a USA Today article on Philly.com.  The researchers’ information came from fifteen states and spanned the years 2003-2007.  They researched 12,000 children under the age of 15 and interviewed the drivers involved in the accidents.  Kids were half as likely to be hurt in a car accident with their grandparents than they were in an accident with their parents.

This seems a bit odd since older drivers are more likely to be in a car accident overall and less likely to properly use a car seat.  But it appears that they might be driving more carefully when their grandchildren are in the car, possibly because they drive with them less often.  I’ve always thought that kids behave better for their grandparents, so maybe they just aren’t as distracted as parents are with whining, crying, screaming kids asking for snacks or throwing sippy cups at their heads while driving.  This is interesting information for car insurance companies who would love to find a way to get drivers to be more careful all the time.