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The right protections
Snowmobiles and ATVs must have a driving permit issued by the federations responsible for this type of recreational vehicle. From then on, snowmobilers and quad riders are required to have a permit for the right of access to marked trails. This sticker even includes civil liability insurance worth one million dollars since 2016.
What protection does amateur liability insurance cover?
In accordance with the regulations in force concerning off-road vehicles, owners of this type of vehicle are obliged to have civil liability insurance in the amount of 500,000 CAD. This insurance protects them if they injure a person, whether while driving or transporting the vehicle.
Since not all ATV and snowmobile owners have personal insurance that includes this type of protection, particularly in the price of trail access rights, the two federations concerned, in this case the Fédération québécoise des clubs quads and the Fédération québécoise des clubs de motoneigistes, have decided to require snowmobilers and quad riders using their trails to comply with the law in force.
Limits?
The federations’ offer has some limitations to be taken into account. These include:
- Non-automatic renewal of insurance – In the event that the insured does not have civil liability insurance, and does not renew his right of access to the trails, he will no longer be covered. He can then be exposed to significant financial losses in the event of a claim occurring while he does not benefit from protection. By subscribing to such insurance with an insurer, this protection is automatically renewed, which prevents you from being without insurance.
- Possibility of insufficient coverage amount – In the event that the insured is only covered by the protection offered by the federation, it should be remembered that the limit of coverage is one million dollars, hence the need to subscribe for an upper limit. This becomes essential, knowing that SAAQ coverage does not cover injuries on the trails. And in the event of an accident causing serious injury to others, the insured will be subject to serious legal proceedings.
- Vehicle damage not covered – By having only civil liability insurance, it does not cover damage to the vehicle. To protect the latter, you must take out appropriate insurance with an insurer. In this case, the owner can choose not to cover the civil liability or to keep it to have a higher limit.
- Double insurance – In the event that the owner of the quad or snowmobile already has civil liability insurance, he will have a second insurance and therefore he will have double insurance. That said, it should be noted that the owner always has the option of cancelling the portion of insurance associated with the right of access by filling out a form dedicated to this purpose and which is accessible from the FCMQ website. It would also be possible to keep both to have higher protection. This can be very useful in the event of a claim, especially since the SAAQ does not offer any coverage on the trails.
- Need to contact two insurers
By having insurance while keeping that of the federation, the insured will have to communicate with two insurers for any claim following a claim. Obviously, the procedures will be more complicated, given that he must carry out procedures for injuries caused and others for damage to the vehicle.
Recommendation for members of ATV and snowmobile federations
For federation members, it is recommended to keep the insurance they have taken out with their insurer in addition to the one included in the trail map, which constitutes additional protection. This will prevent insufficient insurance in the event of an accident.
And to be better protected, it would be wise to talk to a certified insurance representative who can detail the risks to which snowmobile and ATV owners are exposed.
