Compare Comprehensive Car Insurance

Your routine driving and the history of use can make a huge difference to your premium. This includes whether you’re a low kilometre driver (e.g. retiree or public transport user), if your car is being used for business purposes, or you qualify as a ‘safe driver’ (if you haven’t made an at-fault claim on your policy for a set period of time).

Comprehensive insurance premiums vary depending on the year, make and model of car you drive.

Your address and postcode impact the cost of your premium. Insurance companies also take into account if your car is securely parked.

The basic excess is what you pay to the repairer or insurer. Your excess is a payment you may need to make in the event of an at-fault or unrecoverable claim. Generally, the higher your excess payment, the lower your premium will be.

Making a claim on your comprehensive car insurance in Australia is usually a simple process. It’s a good idea to keep your insurance details in your car or on your phone, so they’re always on hand in case you’re involved in an accident.

Exchange details with other parties involved in an incident, and then contact your insurer. If possible, take photos at the location of the accident and the damage.

In an emergency situation, contact 000 at once.

Many insurers provide a 24/7 claims lodgement and assistance service over the phone or online. You can contact them and they can help you through the process.

The severity of the damage to your vehicle may determine how your claim is assessed. If the incident is minor, your insurer make ask you to take your vehicle to one of several nominated repairers to be fixed.

If the incident is more severe, your car may need to be examined by your insurer’s assessor. If your vehicle isn’t in a drivable or roadworthy condition due to the nature of the damage, your insurer may arrange to have it towed directly to their facility for a claims assessment.

It’s crucial that you always read the insurer’s PDS for full details as it outlines the conditions of cover.

A car insurance excess is the sum of money you may need to contribute toward a claim on your policy, or it may be deducted from a total loss settlement. The remaining cost for emergency repairs or replacement is then covered by your insurer.

Some common types of insurance excesses are:

• Basic excess: An out-of-pocket expense you may need to pay in the event of an at-fault or unrecoverable claim.
• Age/inexperienced driver excess: An additional excess for younger, less experienced drivers.
• Undeclared or unlisted driver excess: An additional excess that applies when the claim is the fault of a driver who is not listed on your comprehensive car insurance policy.

Having a higher basic excess is usually attractive with safer drivers, as it decreases your premium, and vice versa with a smaller excess. Lowering or increasing your basic excess is entirely your choice, so it’s a good idea to regularly review this to align with your circumstances.

Your insurer will advise you if an excess payment will be needed when you make a claim. It’s important to keep in mind that different insurers have different excess amounts, as stipulated by your policy.

You can usually choose the basic excess amount for your policy. The amount you choose will affect your insurance premium; generally, a higher excess will result in lower premiums, and a lower excess in a higher premium. While the savings offered by increasing your basic excess can be tempting, make sure you weigh up the potential savings against the risk of making a claim because the higher the excess, the more you’ll be left out of pocket if something happens to your car.

Your total excess may include further additional excesses that may apply at the time of a claim and will depend on the circumstance of the claim and on your insurer.

You can cancel your policy at any time. You’ll need to contact your insurer and notify them of your intentions. They’ll usually specify how you need to notify them (e.g. email or phone call). Be aware that some policies may have cancellation fees.

If you decide to cancel your policy, you may qualify for a refund on the unexpired parts of your premium, less any fees or conditions (such as making a claim) your insurer has stipulated on your policy’s PDS.

Comprehensive car insurance is not compulsory in Australia. However, it’s a legal requirement for every car owner in Australia to have Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance as a bare minimum of cover for injuries or death your vehicle may cause. This is included in your registration fees (in some states).

There will typically be a range of extra car insurance options to add to your policy. If you’re interested in taking out extra cover for additional peace of mind, some options may include:

• Accident hire car. If your car is undriveable or written off, a hire car provides you with wheels while you wait for your car to be fixed or replaced, so you’re not left stranded.
• Roadside assistance. If your car breaks down, you run out of fuel or you puncture a tyre, you’ll be paying out-of-pocket for repairs and possibly towing charges. Adding roadside assistance to your existing comprehensive policy could help with these costs, provided the mobile technician is able to fix it there and then. This includes breakdowns (and battery issues), lockouts, bogs, flat tyres and – in some cases – emergency fuel. However, if you need any new parts, such as a battery, tyre or fuel, you’ll need to purchase this yourself.
• Windscreen excess waiver. If there is accidental damage to the window glass or windscreen on your car, you may need to pay an excess. A windscreen excess waiver can save you from paying this excess when getting your windscreen repaired or replaced.

While this depends on the insurer, it’s common for those with comprehensive car insurance policies to have a no claim bonus or discount. If you don’t make a claim over a certain number of years (which may take affect after one period of insurance or a couple years in a row), you could get a discount on your car insurance premiums.

The no claims discount (NCD) generally compounds for up to five years. Making a claim at any time during or after these first five years may impact your discount.

Many insurers provide the option for car owners to insure their car for an agreed value. This means that, should you need to make a claim (e.g. for accidental damage, vandalism, fire, theft or total loss) and your car is unrepairable or it’s not economically viable to repair your car, you’ll receive up to the agreed value minus any applicable excess payments. Check the PDS for the conditions around agreed value and total loss claims.

Generally, car insurance protects your car against specific events for the car’s market value, which is what it’s worth at the time of the incident.