Vehicle Insurance on the Ice

[OutwardBound]

When i was talking to my insurance company the other day (TD Insurance) i finally remembered to ask them that if i was driving my truck on the ice and it went through would i be covered by any of my insurances? To my surprise i would be covered under my comphehrsive insurance. She told my the only riders they have for falling through the ice are on snowmobiles and atvs. They are not covered.

Has anyone else asked this question before, and got a similar response?

Dustin

[diamonddave]

Yep, she's a no go, you are on your own on that one.

[nicemustang]

I'm through Meloche monnex (TD) and yes I am covered, altough I never asked about my quad. Maybe I should....since I have it out lots.

[Hunter Trav]

Good to know, thanks for the info Dustin. :)

[Sundancefisher]

Good to know, thanks for the info Dustin. :)

My old insurance agent said I was not covered. You have to ask and I would get it in writing. As you are not driving on a public roadway...be very clear in your question. Some agents don't understand the concept of driving on a frozen lake where their is no public ice road and there is 20 feet of water under. Ensure you ask about replacement vehicle cost (probably book value if anything) environmental clean up if your gas tank or oil or antifreeze is leaking, for vehicle removal from the lake, ie tow truck or crane or barge etc., also for passenger liabilty from injury or death.

At the time I was told I was not covered I was freaked out.

[moosemad]

Wow, you worried about ice fishing already? Just kiddin, its good info to know.

[ukrmaf]

i would confirm with them that this is not a designated ice road like they have up north, from what i have been told by several different insurance companies is that unless its a designated or seasonal road it isnt covered, so to my understanding driving on a frozen lake unless its somewhere up north or to get to a job site on a winter road it is not covered and u are on your own, thats what i've been told, who knows i guess every company is different, i would definately get something in writing though.

[elkhunter1234]

My wife is my insurance agent and she has advised me that not only would i not be covered but i would also be sleeping with the dogs for a very long time... i do know from first hand exsperance that if you drop your truck in a lake well on the Blackfoot reserve in Montana it will cost you a grand a day for every day your truck is in the lake for a environmental fee...

[graham1]

A buddy of mine put his 2 or 3 year old tractor through the ice on a dugout a few years ago. Insurance wrote the tractor off and paid him about what he paid for it.

Car insurance might be a different ball game however.

[ATF]

I got it in writing both from Meloche and Canadian Direct.
I was told they consider the sinking of a vehicle a collision with the ice and they were only too happy to send me a fax stating that it is covered.
ATV and Snowmobiles are a different story. My policy goes out of the way to specify I'm not covered for a water loss. This means frozen or otherwise.
As for environmental I believe you have a short time period to mitigate damage to the waterbody but not sure exactly what that could entail.

[Penner]

I would like to make the point that even if your vehicle is covered for going though the ice while ice fishing, your life isn’t. I hope that nobody all of a sudden inherits some tetesicular fortitude and decides to risk driving a ¾-Ton at 60km/hr on 6” of ice in early December just because their vehicle may be insured. :confused: