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Comprehensive car insurance is an insurance policy that thoroughly covers a vehicle against loss or damage. When you have a comprehensive car insurance policy in place, you can be confident that most common accidents and misadventures should be covered, so your wallet shouldn’t be hit too hard if you run into car trouble.
As its name implies, comprehensive car insurance provides extensive coverage for a wide variety of events. Depending on your insurer, your comprehensive car insurance could provide coverage for some or all of the following:
Some insurance policies may offer more comprehensive coverage than others. Even if you’re fully covered, some features and benefits may be available as optional extras that you may need to pay an extra fee or higher premium for, such as no-excess windscreen repair, access to roadside assistance, or getting the option to choose your own repairer (rather than one in the insurer’s network).
It’s important to compare comprehensive car insurance from different insurers before deciding on a policy, as your choice could affect your cover and how much you may need to pay.
By default, your comprehensive car insurance policy may only cover the primary driver of your vehicle. But in many cases, you can choose to add extra drivers to the policy, such as your spouse and other relatives who regularly drive your car.
If an extra driver is considered risky, such as if they’re on their L or P plates, are aged under 25, or have lost their license previously, you may need to pay a higher premium to add these drivers to the policy. Alternatively, you may need to pay a higher excess if a risky driver is involved in an accident.
Keep in mind that even if your car is being driven by someone not covered by your policy (e.g. if you’ve lent your car to a friend when they’re moving house) and it’s involved in an accident, the policy should still cover any damage. You may just need to pay an extra excess due to the unknown driver, in addition to your normal excess and any extra excesses that may apply if the driver is a risky one.
Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance is a separate policy to comprehensive car insurance. Unlike a Comprehensive policy, which is associated with an individual, CTP insurance is attached to a vehicle as it’s required to register the vehicle with the state or territory government. When you buy a second-hand car, it will often already have a CTP insurance policy in place, which will need to be renewed in time.
You don’t have to take out comprehensive car insurance from the same insurer that provides your CTP, and vice versa. You may find that when you compare CTP policies, a more affordable option exists with another insurer.
You can check if a car has CTP insurance by running a Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) report and/or contacting your state or territory government to confirm its registration. These checks may also tell you other important details about the car’s history, such as if it still has money owing on it from a previous owner.
There is no national database of comprehensive car insurance policies, so to confirm the policy details you’ll need to search your own records and/or contact the insurer that provided you with the policy. Keep in mind that because comprehensive car insurance policies are tied to individuals and not to vehicles, they don’t transfer when the vehicle is sold – instead, any coverage remaining on the policy may be refunded, or transferred to a new car.
Unlike CTP insurance, comprehensive car insurance isn’t essential. But while you don’t necessarily need comprehensive car insurance, it can prove valuable to have, as it can provide more thorough coverage in case of accidents.
Comprehensive car insurance can be much more expensive than other car insurance options, like fire and theft or CTP. However, the coverage it provides can be a lifesaver in the right circumstances.
For example, CTP only covers injuries to pedestrians and other drivers when you’re in an at-fault accident. The cost of repairing damage to your own vehicle isn’t covered.
Similarly, fire and theft insurance will pay out if your car catches on fire or is stolen, but not if you’re in a car accident or a tree randomly falls on your vehicle.
Comprehensive car insurance can often cover the cost of repairs to your own vehicle if you’re in an accident, regardless of whether you’re at fault. It can also be used to help you buy a replacement vehicle if yours is stolen or written off following a crash.
Fully comprehensive car insurance is typically one of the most expensive vehicle insurance options compared to the alternatives. The exact cost can vary greatly, depending on the age, make and model of your car, along with the insurer and your personal situation as a driver.
Because comprehensive car insurance costs may vary, it’s often worth comparing policies online and getting quotes from different insurers before deciding on an option. Remember that the cheapest comprehensive car insurer may not always be the best option for your financial situation and household needs.
You may be able to make your comprehensive car insurance cheaper if you vary your excess, though you may need to pay more when you make a claim. You could also choose to cut down the optional extras in your cover, and apply online to hopefully receive a discount.
This article was reviewed by Personal Finance Editor Peter Terlato before it was published as part of RateCity's Fact Check process.
