As you enter your golden years, you may find that a lifetime of safe driving has paid off. Insurers will likely favour you and your premiums have tended to decrease.
But car insurance premiums can be high for Australians over 60 years of age, no matter how healthy you are. For Australian seniors, buying car insurance can be more costly at a certain age as you face harsher licensing requirements - which vary from state to state.
So, which car insurance policy is the most suitable for seniors? Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all best policy, as every single senior driver is different. This is why it’s so important to carefully compare car insurance options.
The most suitable car insurance policy for any senior Australian is one that best suits their needs and their budget. This means you may need to do a little research to find your best
option.
There are four main types of car insurance;
If you’re looking for a policy that will keep costs down in terms of ongoing repayments, it could be worth considering only taking out CTP insurance (aka your green slip). Just keep in mind that you will not be covered for any damages outside of injuries to another person, so if the worst were to occur, you could be significantly out of pocket for additional damages.
Now you know the type of car insurance you want, the next most significant factor to compare is the premium, or recurring payment you may be charged by the insurer. Unfortunately, your car insurance policy is primarily aimed at covering your liability for accidents for which you are at fault.
This means that, put simply, the insurance provider may assess you require more coverage than the average driver and typically charge you a higher premium. From an insurer’s perspective, risk factors, such as hearing or eyesight loss, in senior Australians may heighten the risk posed to other drivers, cars, or property.
However, if you have an excellent driving history, or if you agree to modifications, such as driving only during the day time, you may be able to convince the insurer to lower your premium.
Car insurance excess, or the amount you agree to pay when filing an insurance claim, is also a crucial ongoing cost to compare. While opting for a higher excess might lead to lower premiums, the out-of-pocket expenses in the event of a claim can be significant.
Senior Australian drivers may want to assess their driving habits and the likelihood of making a claim, factoring in their ability to cover a higher excess if needed, before proceeding with a higher-excess insurance policy. On the other hand, while a lower excess means higher premiums, it may also offer some relief for your savings in the event of an accident.
You have two options for how your comprehensive car insurance works in the event that the vehicle is written off: market value or an agreed amount.
With market value car insurance, which is usually the default, your insurer pays you based on what your car could sell for in the general market if it's seriously damaged. They'll estimate this value using the market prices around the time of the accident.
On the other hand, agreed value insurance lets you decide the amount you want your car to be covered for. This choice gives you certainty about the payout you'll get from the insurer if you need to make a claim.
The specifics around senior drivers in Australia and any restrictions differ for each state and territory.
The following states and territories require drivers 75-years or older to get a doctor to certify they are fit to drive each year:
The following states and territories allow older Australians to self-assess their driving ability, unless a medical condition makes annual assessment necessary:
If you have a reasonably clean driving history and have not filed an insurance claim recently, you may be able to qualify for a discount on your car insurance premium. In general, you need to convince the insurer that you are a reasonably safe driver unlikely to get into an accident by, for instance, enrolling for a defensive driving course.
You may also want to list a younger member of your family (above the age of 25) as the primary driver of your car if possible, as they are more likely to be seen as safe drivers. Ideally, you would want to count on this person to do the majority of the driving rather than hit the road yourself.
Alternatively, you may want to buy your policy from the same insurer from whom others in your family have bought car insurance to try and grab a multi-policy discount. If you are going to be the primary driver, consider opting for a ‘pay as you drive’ car insurance policy rather than a full-time policy, or a policy that gives you a discount for driving less often.
This article was reviewed by Mark Bristow before it was published as part of RateCity's Fact Check process.
