Comparing NT comprehensive car insurance policies with Mozo
The needs of Territorian drivers are as varied and unique as the land they reside on. From the beautifully biodiverse Top End to the Red Centre and Alice Springs in the south. Roads can vary depending on whether you live in Darwin, one of the major towns or off the beaten track. So it’s important to make sure you have the right level of insurance for your vehicle.
The comparison tables above show a snapshot of comprehensive car insurance policies on offer right now. Here you can see what discounts are available, whether paying monthly is an option and what the range of excess is for each insurance plan. Plus, if you want to read more about an individual policy you can click through to a longer review with more information. Or, if you’re keen to get a quote, press on the ‘go to site’ button to go directly to an insurance provider’s website.
For more information on car insurance in the Northern Territory in general, have a read of the frequently asked questions below.
What are the car insurance options in the Northern Territory?
No matter where you live, you must have compulsory third party car insurance to legally drive in Australia. In the NT this is known as the Motor Accidents Compensation (MAC) scheme. It is described on the MAC Commission website as ‘personal injury cover for you and your family’ and is included in your NT motor vehicle registration*.
It is also a ‘no-fault’ scheme, meaning that drivers are covered, regardless of who caused an accident. The MAC scheme provides cover for drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians in the Northern Territory. This type of insurance does not provide cover for your vehicle.
If you want to make sure your wheels are covered, you will have to take out either third party fire and theft or comprehensive car insurance. Both of these as well as third party property car insurance are available in the NT. Let’s break this down in more detail.
What cover is provided with third party property insurance?
Generally speaking there are two types of third party property insurance. These are simply third party property and third party property fire and theft. Third party property car insurance provides liability for accidental damage that you may cause to someone else’s property. It does not usually provide cover for your own car.
You can add some level of protection for your wheels, however, with third party property fire and theft. This is basically third party property insurance: legal liability for you, plus cover for if your car is damaged as the result of a fire, attempted theft or theft.
How does comprehensive car insurance work in the NT?
If you’re keen to avoid a big bill at the mechanic’s, then you may want to look into comprehensive car insurance. This type of car insurance will cost you more in premiums, but will also provide more cover for your car. This includes cover if your car is damaged, as well as liability for damage you may cause to someone else’s car.
Comprehensive car insurance can also provide cover for stuff like personal items, hire car costs following a not-at-fault accident, emergency transport and accommodation, replacement keys if you lose yours and towing costs. There is also often the option to pad out your cover with optional extras. These can include choice of repairer, cover for a hire car following an at-fault accident and reduced window glass replacement excess cover.
What will affect my car insurance premium in the Northern Territory?
How much you pay for your car insurance premium will depend on how likely the insurance company thinks you are to make a claim. To work out this likelihood, the insurance provider will look at a number of factors, including:
- Your age. As drivers under 25 tend to have less experience on the roads, they are often charged a higher premium. That said, your premium could also be priced higher if you are over 25 and have less than two years of driving experience under your belt.
- Your gender. Statistically speaking, women have less car accidents than men and as such are often charged lower car insurance premiums. Read more about why women pay less for car insurance here.
- Where you park your car at night. Whether you park your car in a garage or on the street at night will have an affect on your car insurance premiums.
- Where you live. What the crime rate is like and whether your local area is prone to extreme weather events like flooding will have some effect on what you pay for insurance.
- Your wheels. How old your vehicle is, what safety measures it has, the model and size are all factors that will be used to calculate your car insurance premium costs.
- Driving history. Your driving history including past insurance claims, scrapes and accidents will all be taken into account when calculating your premium. You will also be asked how many kilometres you drive on average each year.
- What policy you choose. The type of policy you choose will also determine how much you pay. That also takes into account whether or not you add optional extras such as choice of repairer or roadside assistance onto your policy.
How might car theft in the NT affect my insurance?
As mentioned above, one of the factors that is taken into account when calculating premiums is the rate of car theft in a particular area. So, the rate of car theft in the Northern Territory may have some effect on how high or low your premiums are.
The good news is that according to the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council, car theft in the NT actually decreased by around 23% between September 2019 and September 2020^. This might mean that if you live in an area where car theft has reduced, your premium may go down. In that time period light commercial utility vehicles and small passenger cars were the most targeted by thieves.
Darwin had the highest rate of car theft, closely followed by Alice Springs. Some of the most targeted vehicles were the Toyota Hilux MY05_11, the Toyota Hilux MY15+ and the Holden Commodore VE MY06_13. If you own a vehicle that is more likely to be targeted by thieves, or you live in an area with a higher car theft rate, this could affect your insurance premiums.
What car insurance discounts are available in the NT?
If you’re looking to reduce your car insurance premiums, there are a few commonly available discounts to look out for. These are:
- Online discounts. Most car insurance policies have a presence online these days and will even give you a discount for signing up virtually.
- Multi-policy discount. If you’re also after insurance for your home or contents, you might consider bundling your policies and taking advantage of a multi-policy discount.
- Restricted driver discount. If you are the sole driver of your car, or you know that other drivers will be over 25 or 30, you might be able to bag a restricted driver discount.
- No claim bonus. A bit more of a long game reward, the no claim bonus is a discount offered by a lot of insurance companies. This discount depends on you not making any claims, or at least not making any at-fault claims and is accumulated over time.
- Family discount. This one usually applies to under 25s who opt for the same insurance provider as their parent or guardian.
- Loyalty discount. One of the perks of sticking with the same insurance provider for a number of years is a loyalty discount. If that describes you and your provider hasn’t yet offered you money off, by all means get on the phone and ask for one!
- Pay-as-you-drive plans. A number of insurance companies these days offer pay-as-you-drive or pay-per-kilometre plans. So if you only drive your car on weekends or you’ve been driving less lately, this could be another way to save money.
What's the best car insurance in the Northern Territory?
When looking for a new policy, most people want to find the best car insurance in Australia to cover their rides. So, a great place to start is by checking out the winners in the Exceptional Value and Exceptional Quality categories in the latest Mozo Experts Choice Car Insurance Awards for 2023.
The Mozo experts analysed over 10,000 car insurance quotes to find the best value policies for the widest range of customers. Check out the methodology report for more information.
However, not all policies are one-size-fits-all, so it’s important to bear this in mind when comparing car insurance policies in the NT.
