Car insurance. Are you covered?

All vehicles driven on SA roads must be covered by some form of insurance. But what are all the different types?

Compulsory Third Party (Motor Injury) Insurance (CTP)

CTP Insurance is the most important insurance you can have and that’s why it’s mandatory in South Australia – heavy penalties apply if a vehicle is driven or found on a road without CTP. Once a vehicle is registered, part of the fee goes towards CTP, so you’re automatically covered without having to do anything except pay your registration.

At the very least your car, or the car your child is driving, must be registered and automatically covered for CTP.

CTP Insurance provides compensation for personal injury to people injured in road crashes where the driver or owner of a South Australian registered vehicle is at fault. It may also cover crash victims where a passenger is at fault.

By paying your CTP premium you are protecting yourself from potentially being sued for damages if you cause injury to third parties.

South Australia's CTP insurance scheme includes reasonable treatment and other expenses.

The scheme does not:

• Provide full compensation to persons who contribute to their injuries. For example, by not wearing a seatbelt.
• Compensate the injured driver who is entirely at fault.
• Cover damage to vehicles.

MAC’s Claims Manager, Allianz Australia Limited, is responsible for processing all CTP claims and handling enquiries.

An injured person (or their relatives) should contact Allianz as soon as possible following a crash. Allianz can provide advice about whether the injured person is eligible to make a CTP claim.

Find out more details, including how to make a claim.

Third Party (Property) Insurance

Third Party Insurance is relatively inexpensive and can be arranged through an insurance company. Third Party (Property) Insurance will cover the repair costs if you hit another vehicle, which can be really expensive if you’re not covered.

It covers:

• Any damage you’ve caused to another person’s property, such as their car.
• You can extend your Third Party Insurance to include fire and theft to your own car, which would recover the damage if your car is stolen and written off or catches fire.

It doesn’t cover:

• Damage caused to your car.

With most non-compulsory insurance you need to nominate any additional drivers to your policy – make sure you’re new, young drivers are covered if they’re driving the family car. Find out more about Third Party and Compulsory insurance.

Comprehensive Insurance

If you’re in an crash that’s your fault, Comprehensive Insurance covers you for the damage to your car and the other person’s car.

If a loan is taken out to buy a car, sometimes you’ll be required to purchase Comprehensive Insurance.

Also, you should always keep your insurance details up to date, otherwise you may not be properly insured. Contact your insurance provider to check that your details are correct and any additional drivers are included in your policy.