Thanks to an abundance of attractions to explore – from the captivating Australian War Memorial to the remote wilderness of the Namadgi National Park – the ACT punches well above its weight.
In 2019, ACT was home to roughly 425,700 residents,¹ as well as approximately 308,861 registered vehicles!²
With no scarcity of places to visit, having adequate cover for your car is essential. Accidents can happen in the most unlikely places and under the most inconvenient circumstances. Without the right level of insurance, you could be left with a massive repair bill.
Many drivers take out comprehensive car insurance for peace of mind, so let’s see if we can’t provide the same comfort to you.
Comprehensive car insurance offers the highest coverage of insurance for your car. It covers you for damage to both your vehicle and a third party’s vehicle(s) and property, as well as fire damage and theft. Depending on the circumstances, you may be covered if your car is completely written off, allowing you to replace it and get back on the road sooner.
TPPD insurance provides cover for damage you cause to other people’s cars or property. Depending on your insurer, you may have a limited amount of cover for your vehicle if it’s damaged in a no-fault accident with an uninsured vehicle. Typically, this level of car insurance does not cover your vehicle for at-fault claims.
TPFT insurance operates similarly to TPPD policies, with an additional level of cover: it covers the replacement costs of your vehicle if it is stolen or damaged/destroyed in a fire. Your vehicle’s repair costs are not covered if you are at fault in a traffic accident.
CTP Insurance also known as Green Slip cover in NSW, is mandatory for driving in ACT and around Australia. It covers your liability if you cause injury or death to someone else in an accident. In ACT, you have the option of choosing between several different providers.
In the ACT, every driver on the road must have CTP/Green Slip insurance, but if you’re seeking a broader level of coverage, consider the following.
The average market value of a car in ACT compared on our website was $18,875 in 2018-19. If you’ve already invested in thousands of dollars to pay for your car, wouldn’t you ensure that it’s sufficiently protected, particularly if you’ve taken out a loan to pay for it?
Ultimately it comes down to your personal circumstance and needs, but if you believe repair or replacement costs could blow out your budget, comprehensive car insurance or TPFT could be an option for you to consider.
| Insurance type | Damage to your car | Damage to another person’s car or property | Damage or loss to your car caused by theft and fire | Injuries or death to other people in an accident |
| CTP/ Green Slip | No | No | No | Yes |
| Third Party Property | No | Yes | No | No |
| Third Party Fire & Theft | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Comprehensive | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Note: There are more factors and variables that may affect your level of coverage. Always refer to your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) for full explanation of your cover. | ||||
The below features may be available to drivers as either standard inclusions or optional extras (at additional expense). These extras can be worthwhile if you are ever caught up in a predicament on our roads.
These features are likely to have limits that will vary from insurer to insurer. Always remember to check your policy’s Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to know exactly what you’re covered for.
Car insurance premiums are different for everyone. This is because providers calculate how much it’ll cost to cover your vehicle by taking into account things like your:
As such, how much you pay in premiums will usually differ to your work colleagues, friends, neighbours and even the people in your own household.
If you’d like to know how much you could potentially pay for car insurance in ACT, you can complete a quote through our car insurance comparison service.
We understand that your circumstances are unique. That’s why we teamed up with some of the most respected car insurance brands in Australia to give you a range of products to compare.
It’s as easy as remembering your licence plate, and in moments you can review a range of products side by side – a streamlined way to see if you can save on car insurance in the ACT.
Our service has no mark-ups, no hidden fees, and absolutely no cost attached to our comparison. Search until you’re confident in making a great purchase decision for you.
In March 2019, there were over 425,700 people living in ACT.¹ Whether you’re driving through ACT’s alpine region or heading to Mount Ainslie Lookout, Australia’s heartland is a great place for road trips. The only difference to insuring a vehicle in ACT as opposed to some other states or territories is that you can choose your CTP insurance provider. You can also choose your CTP provider in QLD and NSW.
That being said, various factors may impact your policy. Some of these include:
The ACT is – overall – a great place to call home. However, there are always a few bad apples to deal with.
There were 1,030 car thefts recorded in ACT during 2018-19.³ That works out to be roughly three thefts for every 1,000 vehicles registered.
On a national scale, ACT accounted for just 1.9% of the country’s total motor vehicle theft in 2018-19.⁴ The Greater ACT area recorded 1,249 car thefts, with only nine being outside of this local government area.
Source: Data courtesy of NMVTRC. Any conclusions drawn are the author’s own and not endorsed by the NMVTRC.
When we get our learner’s license at 15 years and nine months of age,⁵ the responsibility of driving becomes much clearer…because a lot can go wrong on our roads.
There were nine fatalities out of 7,584 “vehicle crashes” on ACT roads during 2018.⁶ Overall, there were 2.14 deaths per 100,000 people in the ACT in 2018, less than half of the Australian average of 4.59 per 100,000.
Furthermore, around 45% of ACT road accidents in 2018 were recorded as rear-end collisions, so stay safe out there and watch your rear!
Still have some burning questions? We’re here to answer them.
That’s simple! Comprehensive car insurance pays for repair costs for both yourself and other drivers – regardless of who is at fault in an accident. CTP/Green Slip insurance is different, in that it will only cover your liability for injuries or deaths in an accident where you’re at fault.
This type of cover is compulsory to hold in order to legally drive in ACT.
Absolutely not! Nothing is stopping you from choosing a different CTP/ Green Slip insurer if you’re not happy with the price you’re paying for cover each year.
The suburb you reside in can affect the price of your premiums, due to the level of risk and insurance claims in the area.
Conversely, where you park your car overnight could also affect your premium depending on your insurer. For example, if you park indoors in a secure garage, your premium may reflect the lower likelihood of it being stolen.
It’s wise to give your insurer a call when you plan on moving, to understand how or if your new address will affect your premium.
¹ ABS – 3101.0 – Australian Demographic Statistics, Mar 2019. Published September 2019. Accessed November 2019.
² ABS – 9309.0 – Motor Vehicle Census, Australia, 31 Jan 2019. Published July 2019. Accessed November 2019.
³ NMVTRC – Theft Watch – Financial year 2018/19. Accessed November 2019.
⁴ NMVTRC – Dashboard. Accessed November 2019.
⁵ ACT Government: Access Canberra – ACT driver licence information. Last updated November 2019. Accessed November 2019.
⁶ACT Government – 2018 ACT Crash Report. Published December 2019. Accessed May 2020.
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