Need car insurance in Western Australia? Know the requirements and find the right cover.
There are three steps to getting car insurance in WA.
- Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance. This is mandatory medical insurance for accidents on the road. CTP insurance in WA is automatically built into your car registration costs.
- Choose your damage and liability cover. In addition to CTP cover, you need to choose the type of car damage and liability insurance that works for you.
- Compare and buy online. Once you’ve found the right policy, compare it with other options and buy online. Your car is now fully insured, and you’re good to go.
Ready to compare car insurance policies for Western Australia?
What types of car insurance can I get in WA?
While CTP protects you from the cost of medical expenses incurred because of an accident, it will not cover the cost of damage of other cars or property. This is where standard car insurance comes in. For everyone, the best car insurance in WA will be a policy that delivers the right blend of cost and cover for their needs.
| Third party property | Third party property, fire and theft | Comprehensive | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal liability |
|
|
|
| Protection for your car |
|
|
|
- Personal liability: Personal liability expenses result from damage to cars or other drivers in an accident. Any type of car insurance with personal liability cover will include cover for this.
- Protection for your car: Different policies will deliver varying types of protection. Get protection from fire and theft - the two most common hazards - with a fire and theft policy. Alternatively, choose wide-ranging cover with comprehensive car insurance or highly affordable personal-liability-only insurance with a third party property policy.
A good first step is making sure you're considering the right kind of cover.
- Find car for business and personal use
- Compare commercial car insurance policies
- Find car insurance for drivers over 50
- Don't drive a lot? You might want Pay As You Drive car insurance
- Carry passengers for pay? You probably need rideshare car insurance
How much does car insurance cost in WA?
The more likely you are to make a claim, the higher your premiums will be. Premiums are affected by your age, your gender, your driving history, how likely your car is to be stolen and many other factors that are known to impact accident rates.
Rounded average annual cost of comprehensive car insurance for recent model cars in WA
| State | Average Monthly Cost |
|---|---|
| Western Australia | $107.25 |
| Victoria | $161.86 |
| Queensland | $113.68 |
| South Australia | $118.39 |
| New South Wales | $160.54 |
| Tasmania | $127.51 |
| Average | $132.34 |
- Stamp duty: Different financial services are taxed at different levels around Australia. In WA, the stamp duty tax is 10% of premiums. This fee is typically added to the cost of your premiums.
What car insurers can I access in WA?
You can access a similar range of car insurance in Perth, regional WA and the rest of Australia. This makes sure you can be covered all around the country. The finder.com.au car insurance panel lets you compare options from some of the nation’s top insurers, so you can compare features side by side and get quotes to find cover that works for you.
Start comparing and getting quotes, or read on to learn more about picking the out the right cover.
Why is the cost of car insurance different in Perth to the rest of Western Australia?
Insurers consider a range of different factors when setting car insurance premiums. These include:
- The make and model of the car
- The driver's age, gender and previous driving history
- The range of anti-theft features on your car or garage, and whether the car is parked under cover or not
- Your location
All the factors can make a significant difference, but location can be especially important because it affects a wide range of risk factors. In the heart of Perth, for example, all the other traffic on the roads can significantly increase the change of vehicle collisions, compared to other parts of the state.
Other drivers can also affect your car insurance, because they all contribute to other overall risk levels and accident statistics. Western Australia's long distances and wide ranges, for example, might be constricting to micro-sleeps while driving, and other dangerous behaviour behind the wheel, and Western Australia in particular seems to have riskier drivers.
Meanwhile, drivers in country areas are naturally at much greater risk of hitting kangaroos, and might also tend to drive longer distances on a regular basis. Cars in some parts of Perth might also be at higher risk of theft or vandalism. In these locations, parking in a locked garage overnight and installing anti-theft measures might significantly reduce your car insurance premiums, while it might not make as much of a different in regional WA.
The effect of these is largely down to how different insurers consider the risks, so it can pay to shop around for an insurer that offers favourable premiums for your situation. Many other factors are also subject to similar variations.
For example, one insurer might have an especially cost-effective repair and spare parts network for one particular brand, and therefore might offer lower premiums for drivers of those kinds of cars.
There are so many factors in play that it's difficult to say which one has the best value for money car insurance in WA. The perfect option for one person might not be suitable for someone else. In many cases, however, there are several ways to reduce your premiums.
How to lower the cost of car insurance in WA
There are a range of steps you can take to reduce the cost of car insurance.
- Reconsider your cover needs. If you have an old or beat-up car, it might not need comprehensive cover.
- Look for online discounts. Simply by buying online you can find significantly cheaper car insurance.
- Increase your excess. A higher excess can significantly reduce your car insurance premiums.
- Check your car insurance options. There are a range of options to choose form, such as excess-free windscreen and glass replacements. They might raise costs however, so you may want to look for cover that doesn't automatically include it.
- Shop around. If your car insurance premiums are increasing, there might be a better option somewhere else. It might be worth switching car insurance instead of renewing.
Western Australia car theft statistics
According to The National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council (NMVTRC), Western Australia lays claim to 14.5% of all national car thefts. The number stolen was 7,643. For every 1,000 cars registered, 3.34 will be stolen. 2017 saw an increase in passenger/light commercial vehicles stolen and motorcycles taken. The figures were offset by a marked drop in other categories.
During the year, Western Australia had a 12% decrease in car crime, the last 3 years the figures have remained fairly even.
Which vehicles did thieves steal the most?
Western Australian thieves favoured Holden Commodores, one of the staples amongst criminals nationally.
The top five stolen vehicles were:
- Holden Commodore VE 2006-2013
- Ford Falcon BA 2002-2005
- Holden Commodore VY 2002 - 2004
- Toyota Hilux 2005 -2011
- Nissan Patrol GU 1997 onwards
Where were vehicles taken?
The worst-hit areas for car thefts in Western Australia are:
- Stirling (621)
- Wanneroo (446)
- Rockingham (424)
- Gosnells (423)
- Swan (409)
What time are vehicles most likely to be taken?
Thieves were most active on Friday nights, between the hours of 16:00 and 19:59. From 22:00 to 22:59 is also a peak time.
What should I look for in a car insurance policy?
Consider how some of the insurers differ to get a sense of what your ideal car insurance policy might look like, and get quotes to compare on price.
Get the latest car insurance news
Millennials and Gen-Zers lagging behind other generations for insurance cover
Older insurance customers have reached market saturation, while youngsters offer largest growth potential. Read more…
Volkswagen to use technology to reduce road toll
Company aiming to reduce fatalities to zero. Read more…
NSW to launch digital driver’s licence
NSW government to bring in legislation that allows the use of digital driver’s licences. Read more…
