Is Your Teenager Taking a Car Out of Province for University?

If your child is planning on taking their car out of Saskatchewan for University there are a few extra precautions you must take to ensure they are not only prepared, but also that they are properly insured.

In terms of insurance the first thing to do is visit and SGI motor license issuer. It does not matter if the plates are registered in your name or your child’s, but the eligibility questions will need to be re-answered if the vehicle is going to be outside of the province for more than 30 consecutive days.

SGI will confirm a few different things:

• the school they will be attending, 
• that they will maintain a Saskatchewan mailing address, 
• that they will have a full time status at the school, 
• how long the vehicle will be outside of province. 

It is also important to remember that a non-resident of Saskatchewan cannot operate this vehicle for more than 90 accumulative days in a calendar year. You must do some research to ensure that the rules of all other jurisdictions are complied with at all times. Lastly, vehicles used out-of-province may be subject to different insurance risks. This is where we highly recommend a package policy. 

With your plates you have the legal minimum insurance in Saskatchewan, which is a $700 deductible and $200,000 liability. SGI Canada is constantly pushing for increased liability coverage and for good reasons. Even within Saskatchewan there have been numerous occasions when $200,000 liability has not been enough. These are not necessarily the cases involving multiple expensive vehicles and property damage – which do happen – but these can also be the accidents where somebody leaves injured. Additional insurance coverage not only protects you in the event of an accident in which you are liable but also compensates you if you are ever injured or have damage from an underinsured driver.

A few more things to consider!

We do recommend confirming the vehicle is in proper working order before you send them off. Especially if you would like them to drive home to see you every once in a while! Make sure the vehicle is up-to-date on oil changes and routine maintenance to avoid breakdowns. Also be sure that they know what they have to do to maintain their vehicle. Will they have a good spot to park and plug in when it is -40? Do they have a brush and scraper in their vehicle? It may just be September now but winter is coming!

We also recommend teaching your child what to do if they ever do get in an accident while away. We have a little form folded in our registration booklets that provides the necessary phone numbers as well as guides you through all the information you must gather at the scene of the accident.

This information includes

• the other party’s info, 
• their name, 
• vehicle description, 
• license plate number, 
• driver’s license number, 
• contact info, and 
• insurance information (company and policy #) if they have it.
• date and time of the accident
• name(s) and phone number(s) of any witness(es). 

It is also wise to remember to take some pictures both vehicles. Have your child keep a list in their vehicle of information to collect as well as phone numbers for the police and/or emergency services if they are ever needed. It is a good thing to remind them that if anyone is ever injured in the accident, or if either vehicle cannot be driven, the police must be called and everyone involved must stay at the scene.