Car Insurance Insider
When looking at car insurance premiums, all states aren’t created equal.The suburb that you park your car the majority of the time, plays a significant factor in how
The suburb that you park your car the majority of the time, plays a significant factor in how much your premiums are likely to be. And a key reason for that is that there are some states and suburbs that have a higher likelihood that your car will be stolen or damaged.
As it stands in 2017, Victoria has emerged as the state with the highest rate of stolen cars in Australia.
Figures from Australian Bureau of Statistics reveal that 17,900 cars were stolen in Victoria in the year to June 2016. Not surprisingly, it was New South Wales that came in second on the list with 9,300 incidents. Given the fact that both NSW and Victoria are our largest states based on population, with 7.5 million and 5.8 million people respectively, those numbers stand in line with expectation.What would be more concerning to Victorian residents though, is that relative to their population figures, Victoria is well above average. There were almost twice as many car thefts in Victoria than New South Wales. However, Victoria isn’t the state with the highest probability of having your car stolen.
What would be more concerning to Victorian residents though, is that relative to their population figures, Victoria is well above average. There were almost twice as many car thefts in Victoria than New South Wales. However, Victoria isn’t the state with the highest probability of having your car stolen.
The Northern Territory, Tasmania and the ACT had more car thefts on a per-capita basis, given their relatively small populations.
There were 5200 car thefts in Queensland, 6900 in Western Australia and 4100 in South Australia.
Interestingly, even though Victoria has the highest rate of motor vehicle theft, NSW is still the most expensive state to have your car insured. For a family policy with comprehensive cover, expect to pay upward of $2,000 annually to insure your car in New South Wales and Victoria.
The mining states of WA and QLD are the cheapest at a little over $1,500 for the same level of cover.
National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council strategy and programming director Geoff Hughes says that drivers in theft hot spots were likely to face higher insurance costs.
As many as two in five of all home burglaries were to steal car keys, Mr Hughes said.
As it stands less than 10 per cent of a premium, covered car theft costs. Another significant factor pushing up premiums in NSW is the high rates of compulsory third party insurance (CTP), which are significantly higher than other states.
| State | Thefts | Population | Family Premium^ |
|---|---|---|---|
| VIC | 17,900 | 5.8 million | $2,174 |
| NSW | 9,300 | 7.5 million | $2,345 |
| QLD | 5,200 | 4.7 million | $1,547 |
| WA | 6,900 | 2.6 million | $1,646 |
| SA | 4,100 | 1.7 million | $1,731 |
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics
^ Based on average family policy – comprehensive cover
Ensure that you keep your car as safe as possible. Thieves often break into homes to steal
car keys.
Here are some ideas to keep your car safe when you are away.
- Keep your car keys away from outside doors in your home and make they aren’t
visible through the windows. - The master bedroom is the first room thieves target when they break into a house so
it’s best to keep valuables and your car keys locked away securely in a different
room. - Keep your car keys with you at all times even if you leave the car at home
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