Compare car insurance in Western Australia (WA)

Comprehensive car insurance is 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 (CTP) 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, so if you do get into an accident and only hold this level of cover, you may still have significant out-of-pocket expenses.

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 Motor Injury Insurance, which includes CTP insurance. Other levels of cover will give you added protection for vehicle and property damage to varying degrees.

Our table sums up the typical difference between each type of car insurance.

It depends on the level of cover you’re looking for. If you want the most protection for your motor vehicle, it’s worth considering a comprehensive policy for your car. However, if you’re only looking for financial protection in instances where you damage other vehicles and property in a car accident, third party car insurance policies like TPFT and TPPD are typically cheaper insurance options than comprehensive 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 insurance provider 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. On the other hand, you might park your car in a garage overnight, which could indicate to insurers that it’s safe from theft.

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:

• Look for online discounts. Many insurance companies offer special deals if you purchase a new policy online. If you compare and buy car insurance with us, you could get those special offers too. It’s important to be mindful of how long these special deals apply for, in most cases, it’s only the first year.
• Increase your excess payment. By choosing a higher car insurance excess, you’ll reduce the minimum premiums you pay. Keep in mind that if you do need to claim, you’ll have to pay that higher excess.
• Restrict the age of drivers. If you set an age limit on your policy for the people who will drive your car (e.g. drivers under 25 years old are restricted), this can lower the cost with some insurers.

Find out more about ways you could reduce your car insurance premium.

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.