New threshold for reporting collisions in Ontario

Ontario has increased the threshold dictating when drivers are required to report a collision to police.

Prior to Jan. 1, 2025, the total damage had to be $2,000.

It has now increased to $5,000.

For example, if a driver was involved in a crash that didn’t include any injuries or damage to public property, and the total damage to all vehicles involved was over $5,000, it must be reported.

According to Staff Sgt. Scott Griffiths of the Waterloo Regional Police Service, the majority of collisions their officers respond to already meet the $5,000 threshold.

“There's oftentimes a little bit of confusion about, ‘How do I know if the damage amount is significant enough?’ In most cases, unfortunately, as we've seen from costs everywhere else in the world these days, repair costs have gone up. The chances are, you will likely have to report that collision,” Griffiths explained. “If you make an initial assessment that it's not of that value, and go get a quote, and figure out that it is, you need to come in and report [it] to us.”

The province said the change is aimed at reducing the administrative burden on drivers, commercial vehicle operators and police services.

“We take thousands of crashes every year at these centers. They're open 364 days a year, and they work very hard to process all the collisions,” Griffiths said.

According to the Canadian Automobile Association, increasing the threshold means officers won’t spend unnecessary time at minor collisions.

"When it comes to these fender benders that happen between people, really there is no need for the police to attend and going to a collision centre is more advisable,” said Teresa Di Felice, the assistant vice-president of CAA South Central Ontario.

While the increase was expected, the CAA said costs from a crash add up quickly, especially when newer vehicles are involved.

"The average, on even minor repairs is easily $2,700. But that really starts to escalate depending on the severity of the repairs or even the make and model of the vehicle," Di Felice explained.

Drivers have just 24 hours to let police know about a collision that meets the $5,000 threshold.

“If you make an initial assessment that it's not of that value, and go get a quote, and figure out that it is, you need to come in and report to us,” Griffiths said.

When it comes to crashes involving injuries, damage to public property or a cyclist, those need to be called in and reported to police immediately.

No matter the severity of a collision, Griffiths said drivers must exchange information if they are involved in a collision.

“If you are in a crash and let's say it's a fender bender, you're talking to the other party under any circumstances, no matter if it's $5 or $5,000. You have to exchange your name, address and insurance information and vehicle information with that person. If that [$5,000] threshold is met, then there is an obligation on your part to attend and report,” he explained.

That exchanging of information is also important if the collision doesn’t initially appear to meet the threshold.

“We can oftentimes contact the other half who may be or may not be aware that they have to report and we'll encourage them to come in or we can attend and speak to them in person,” Griffiths said.