Car Insurance ACT

What are the different types of Car Insurance available in the ACT?

Like the rest of Australia, the ACT offers four main types of Car Insurance—all of which are covered in the table below:

Car Insurance type	Damage to your car	Damage to another person’s car or property	Damage or loss caused by theft	Injuries or death to others in an accident
Motor Accident Injuries Scheme (MAI)	No	No	No	Yes
Third Party property damage	No	Yes	No	No (but covered by MAI)
Third Party Fire and Theft	No	Yes	Yes	No (but covered by MAI)
Comprehensive	Yes	Yes	Yes	No (but covered by MAI)

Motor Accident Injuries (MAI) Insurance 

The Australian Capital Territory used to offer Compulsory Third Party (CTP) Insurance to cover someone if they caused accidental death or injury while driving. On 31 January 2020, this was been replaced by Motor Accident Injuries (MAI) Insurance.¹ 

MAI basically covers the same things as CTP. So if you get into a car accident which injures or kills another person, MAI will cover the costs of their medical treatment, lost income, funeral expenses and any death benefits to their dependents.² It also covers the driver who caused the accident, whether it was yourself or another person.³ 

Canberrans will buy MAI as part of their motor vehicle registration. It is mandatory car insurance but you can currently choose between four different insurers when registering your vehicle: AAMI, GIO, NRMA and Apia.⁴

Third Party Property Damage (TPPD) 

The next step up is Third Party Property Damage insurance. As the name suggests, this option can help cover damage to other people’s vehicles and property caused by an accident that was your fault, although it doesn’t cover damages to your car or property. 

Third Party Fire and Theft (TPF&T) 

Third Party Fire and Theft insurance can help cover damage to your car because of fire or theft. It also covers third party property damage, so this is another step up in cover. It’s important to remember, this option still doesn’t cover damage caused to your car in an at-fault accident.  

Comprehensive

Comprehensive Car Insurance is the top of the tree. It can help cover damage to other people’s property and vehicles as well as your own, whether an accident is your fault or not. In some cases, it also covers weather events like hail or storm damage. A Comprehensive policy may come with options to add extras to your cover, like a hire car, Roadside Assistance, or personal effects cover. These options vary between providers and while some may be covered in the original premium others may incur an additional cost, so it’s always worth checking out your options. 

Is MAI the only Car Insurance I need in the ACT?

The short answer? It depends on your circumstances and what kind of coverage and peace of mind you’d prefer. 

If you get into an accident, MAI Insurance will provide a safeguard that can help cover the medical costs of any injured drivers, passengers or pedestrians. But if you damage the other driver’s vehicle or someone else's property, the repair costs could come straight out of your pocket. 

Only a Third Party Property, Third Party Fire & Theft, or a Comprehensive policy can cover the repair costs if you damage another person’s vehicle.  

Furthermore, a Comprehensive policy can help cover some or all of the repair costs of your own vehicle if it’s damaged in an accident where you’re at fault. So it’s important to weigh up these considerations when determining if any additional coverage over and above MAI is required. 

How much does Car Insurance cost in the ACT?

How much you’ll pay for your Car Insurance will definitely depend on a variety of things, such as your age, the make of the car and where you live. Use our interactive chart below to check out the average cost of Comprehensive Car Insurance premiums for iSelect customers across Australia to see how the ACT compares.

ACT car crash statistics

Anyone living in the Bush Capital can breathe easy. The ACT has traditionally had the lowest rate of fatal car crashes in Australia per 100,000 people, and this has stayed consistent from 2012-2021.⁵ One more reason that makes life in this tiny territory so good.

ACT car theft statistics

Unfortunately, the ACT doesn’t have the same stellar record when it comes to theft. Over the 2020-2021 financial year, there were 3.68 thefts for every 1000 registrations.⁶ That might not seem like much, but it’s actually the second highest rate of car theft in Australia (only the Northern Territory had more⁷). Yikes! It might be time to buy a car alarm if your car isn’t already equipped with one!

Which cars get stolen the most in the ACT?

It should come as no surprise that the most popular cars in Australia also get stolen the most in the ACT. Holden Commodores top the list, but the Ford Falcon, Ford Ranger, Toyota Camry and Holden Captiva also make common targets for thieves.⁸

What should I consider when looking for Car Insurance in the ACT?

Choosing Comprehensive Car Insurance can be a bit more involved than MAI or Third Party Cover. Your insurer might even offer a selection of optional extras—many of which can cost extra. Some of these extra options may include the following: 

• Personal effects coverage – Do you tend to keep personal items, such as your handbag, mobile phone or clothing, inside your car? This can help cover the replacement costs if they’re damaged or stolen.
• Vehicle towing after an accident – This will help cover the costs of having your vehicle towed to the nearest repairer after an accident.
• ‘Agreed’ or ‘market value’ – Many insurers let you choose between these two types of cover. Agreed value policies insure your car for a fixed sum when you make a total loss claim, and can cost more. Market value means that it’s assessed based on its condition and current value at the time of a claim.
• Hire car access – Some policies may offer access to a hire car in certain circumstances while others might charge an additional premium for this feature
• Roadside assistance – Check with your insurer to see if roadside assistance is included under your cover, any cost associated and how far from home it will help keep you covered.
• New car replacement – Some insurers offer to replace a vehicle in a total loss claim with a new car of the same make and model if yours is within a certain age limit. 

Some policies may include these features as part of your Comprehensive Cover, without requiring you to pay extra. But it really depends on the terms of your policy and can vary from insurer to insurer. For this reason, you’ll always want to check out the policy’s Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) to find out which features are included and which are offered as optional extras. 

What can I do to reduce my Car Insurance premiums?

There are a number of things Canberrans might be able to do in order to reduce their premiums. These can include: 

• Regular policy checks – At renewal time, you may want to have a look around to see if there’s a better option out there.
• 'No claims’ bonus – If you’re a safe and skilled driver who hasn’t made a claim in a number of years, insurance companies may reward you for your good record. The longer you are ‘claim-free’, the larger your discount could be, so check this with your provider.
• Increase your excess – An excess is how much you’ll pay out of your own pocket when you make a claim. A higher excess means a lower premium, but it also means you’re taking on more financial risk if you make a claim.
• Age restrictions –You might be able to score a cheaper premium by adding an age restriction on your policy, such as restricting drivers younger than 25, 30 or even 40 from driving your car. 

This being said, you’ll also want to keep in mind that a cheaper policy isn’t necessarily better. You’ll always want to check your policy’s PDS to ensure that the policy will give you the cover you need, when you need it. 

How do I compare Car Insurance in the ACT?

Well you’ve made it all the way here, so let’s start comparing Car Insurance in the ACT. It’s not hard – simply compare Car Insurance online with iSelect to compare from our range of providers in the ACT, or call us on 13 19 20 to speak to one of our team members.