For all WA drivers, there are four main types of insurance, one of which that’s mandatory to have and three that are optional and should be considered before driving on any roads across Australia.
If you drive in WA, there are some car insurance features that you may find worthwhile to have on your policy to complement your cover.
If you need to, there are ways to bring down your premium costs such as restricting younger drivers from using your car or stripping back unused benefits such as roadside assistance or even upping your excess amount.
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Last updated 29/02/2024
Written by Kenneth Young
Reviewed by Adrian Taylor
Western Australian drivers can choose between three different types of optional car insurance to cover your driving in both WA and the rest of Australia. You’ll automatically get Motor Injury Insurance when you pay for your car’s registration (as it’s mandatory), but you may want to consider another level of car insurance for further cover.
Comprehensive car insurance is, as the name suggests, the most wide-ranging form of insurance you can take out for your car. It covers the repair or replacement of your car if it’s affected by fire, theft, accidental damage or other insured events. It can also cover the repair or replacement costs of any vehicles or property damaged in an accident where you’re at fault.
Third Party Fire and Theft insurance covers any third-party property that you damage in an accident, as well as the repair or replacement costs for your vehicle when it’s damaged by theft or fire. Depending on the policy, it may also cover damage to your vehicle caused by an at-fault, uninsured driver, although repairs may only be covered up to a specified limit.
Third Party Property Damage insurance protects you against liability costs for damages you cause to other vehicles or property in an accident. There’s no cover for repairs and replacement for your car with this type of insurance, regardless of whether it’s damaged by weather events (such as fire or flood) or in a car accident. This type of third-party insurance also doesn’t cover the cost of replacing your car should it be stolen.
This is automatically included in your car registration each year and includes Compulsory Third Party insurance. This type of insurance covers the driver of a registered vehicle if they’re responsible for someone else’s injury or death from a car accident. Motor Injury insurance doesn’t cover damage to vehicles or property, including your own, so if you do get into an accident and only hold this level of cover, you may still have significant out-of-pocket expenses.
While some car insurance features can come at an additional cost to your premiums, they can be worth taking out for that extra level of care if the unexpected were to happen out on the roads. Some features insurers may offer include:
Insurers may offer different features or even include some of these features as standard in your policy. You may also find that some optional extra features are only available on comprehensive insurance policies. Keep in mind that adding extra features to your policy will increase your premiums.
The cost of comprehensive cover varies, depending on your insurer and personal circumstances. Some factors that commonly impact the amount you pay include the age of the driver, the type of vehicle you’re driving, where you park the car overnight (e.g. garage or street), the excess you agree on and your claims and driving history.
Comprehensive car insurance is optional for WA drivers; the only cover that’s compulsory for drivers is CTP insurance. Other levels of cover will give you added protection against repair costs and theft, but this will come at an additional cost.
Our table sums up the typical difference between each type of car insurance.
| Insurance type | Damage to your car | Damage to another person’s car or property | Damage or loss to your car caused by fire or theft | Injuries or death to other people in an accident |
| Comprehensive | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Third Party Fire and Theft | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Third Party Property Damage | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Motor Injury Insurance | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Please note: Other factors can affect your ability to claim, no matter the level of car insurance you take out. It’s therefore important that you read your policy’s PDS to be aware of any specific exclusions or conditions in your cover. | ||||
Where you live and park your car in WA will have an impact on the premium you pay, so it’s very important to notify your insurer when you change your address. This is because different locations carry different risks to insurers; for example, your suburb may be at higher risk of road accidents due to the busy main road that runs through it. But on the other hand, you might park your car in a garage overnight, which indicates to insurers that it’s pretty safe from theft.
If you find that the cost of your insurance is more than you were expecting, there are ways to reduce your car insurance premium.
Some other factors that impact your car insurance premiums can be the type of vehicle you drive, as well as any modifications that may impact the car’s driving safety. Your age and driving history may also impact your premiums. Car immobilisers, alarms and other anti-theft features may reduce your car insurance premiums.
Furthermore, parking your car in a locked garage as opposed to a busy street can help reduce the cost of your cover, especially if you’re parked in an area that has a high rate of theft or vandalism.
There are a few things you can do that could reduce the premiums you pay on your car insurance:
Lodging a claim, no matter who was at fault, can affect the cost of your car insurance. Both at-fault and no-fault claims may increase your premiums but to varying degrees.
Whether or not your insurance becomes cheaper depends on your age and driving experience. Generally, younger drivers are regarded as a higher risk and many insurance companies will charge them a higher premium. If you’re an older driver with a clean driving history, you may indeed be rewarded with lower premiums. It does differ between insurers so it’s important that you compare a range of car insurance policies often to see if you can get the cover you need at a better price.
Moving house may affect your car insurance premiums. For example, if you move to a WA postcode that has higher rates of theft, or a busy city centre like Perth where car accidents occur more frequently, you may notice a rise in your premiums, especially if you’ve come from an area of WA that’s relatively safer.
While most insurers can cover your car against hail damage (depending on the type of cover), it can be harder to get cover for cars with pre-existing hail damage.
If you’re travelling across WA for work and need your tools covered, comprehensive car insurance can sometimes provide some cover for tools and personal contents up to a limit.
As the Executive General Manager of General Insurance at Compare the Market, Adrian Taylor has over 13 years’ experience in the financial services industry. Adrian specialises in customer experience and is dedicated to helping customers better understand insurance products so they can save money on their household bills.
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