Get road trip ready this Australia Day long weekend with a quick car insurance check-in

If you don’t have time to pop overseas and get some Insta-worthy travel content before school goes back for the year, then you might take the Australia Day long weekend as an opportunity to pimp your profile out with some aesthetically-pleasing road trip pics instead!

But before you hit the road, you’ll want to make sure you’ve packed all the road trip essentials: 

• Road trip soundtrack? Check!
• Snacks for the road? Check!
• Car Insurance? Hmm…

It’s always better to be safe than sorry, so if you’re road-trippin’ around Oz over the long weekend, then be sure to do a quick car insurance check-in first so you can be prepared (just in case). Here are some pointers to get you started:

Get roadside assistance

It’s how every horror movie begins… You and your mates are driving down the coast having the time of your lives when suddenly, your car breaks down. It’s dark, you’re in the middle of nowhere and someone forgot to opt-in for roadside assistance. 

Keep in mind that roadside assistance is quite often an optional extra, so unless you want to become the star of your own real-life horror movie, then be sure to double-check whether it’s included in your car insurance policy before you leave.

Be aware that the long weekend could potentially impact roadside assistance response times, so you might want to pack some extra snacks, water, a portable phone charger and maybe even a book to kill some time while you wait.

Make sure all drivers are covered

If you and your mates plan on sharing the load around with the driving this long weekend, then you’ll want to make sure that whoever gets behind the wheel of your car is covered under your insurance policy first - otherwise, it could come back to bite you!

Say you’re involved in a car accident while your friend is driving your car, then unless they’re listed as a nominated driver on your car insurance policy, you could wind up out of pocket and potentially have to cover the repairs costs yourself. Not to mention, you could possibly lose your no-claims bonus too.

Moral of the story, don’t let anyone drive your vehicle unless they’re covered under your policy.

Watch out for double demerits

Don’t forget that double demerit points apply over the Australia Day long weekend for speeding, seat belt, motorcycle helmet and mobile phone offences - so you’ll want to be extra cautious when driving.

Committing a driving offence when double demerits are in force means that you potentially run the risk of losing your licence depending on the type of offence you and the number of points you have prior. Plus, a loss of licence could even affect the price you pay for your car insurance down the track.

Keep your car insurance documents handy

Remember to keep a printed copy of any important car insurance and roadside assistance documents handy, just in case your car breaks down or you’re involved in an accident and need to contact up your insurance provider to make a claim.

Now, we know what you’re thinking - “but I’ve got it all on my phone!” And that’s great to have as a backup copy, but what happens if you were to lose your phone, or the battery died, or worse, there’s no internet reception? Play it safe and keep a copy in the glove box of your car, just in case.

Not too happy with your current car insurance policy? Then it might be time to make the switch. Head to our car insurance comparison table to find the best deal for you!