Additional top-up insurance options for automobiles made available in Manitoba

The organization that runs Manitoba’s annual Worst Roads campaign is now offering top-up insurance for vehicle owners.

CAA Insurance has expanded its auto extension insurance products into Manitoba.

“It is not meant in any sort of way as a replacement for MPI,” said Elliott Silverstein, director of government relations for CAA Insurance.

People who own vehicles are still required to purchase a mandatory Autopac policy from Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI).

CAA said its move is aimed at making additional coverage options available, including for damage from potholes.

There’s been no shortage of fixes needed this year, according to pothole claim statistics provided by MPI.

So far this year between January and June MPI has approved 2,367 pothole claims across the province, mostly in Winnipeg.

That’s nearly four times higher than the annual average of 611 claims over the past three years.

MPI’s basic insurance plan already covers pothole damage if you pay a deductible with no impact on your driver safety rating.

CAA Insurance is offering five new options for additional auto insurance coverage it said haven’t previously been available in Manitoba, including Tire Pothole and Puncture Protection.

“So $25 to help address the cost of plugging a tire because it has a hole in it certainly could provide some savings when you may be on the hook for other costs as well,” Silverstein said.

The pothole coverage costs $10 per year, CAA said.

The organization is also offering an option for people to buy insurance to cover vet bills for family pets hurt in collisions and to cover the cost of personal property damaged during a crash, which Grant Wainikka, CEO of the Insurance Brokers Association of Manitoba, said isn’t typically covered by your Autopac policy.

“The way things work currently is you may be able to apply to recover for that loss through your home or your residential insurance, so this makes things a little bit more streamlined,” Wainikka said.

The more options you add, the more you’ll pay for your policy.

Manitoba Public Insurance said customers can speak to an Autopac agent who can help them determine what extended coverage may be beneficial based on their specific needs.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada said other private insurance companies already offer top-up plans in Manitoba to increase your liability limit, reduce your deductible and cover the cost of a rental vehicle.