Are you a Queenslander in need of a comprehensive car insurance policy? Canstar can help you with that! Our researchers help take the guesswork out of choosing a policy by rating QLD car insurance policies each year on price and features. Following in-depth analysis, Canstar awards five stars to the comprehensive car insurance policies that are judged to offer outstanding value to consumers.
In their most recent rating, Canstar rated 61 car insurance policies from 51 providers. You can view the star ratings for car insurance policies available in QLD for your age and gender by hitting the button below.
Average Cost of Comprehensive Car Insurance in QLD
Compared to the other states, Queenslanders enjoy some of the lower average premiums for comprehensive car insurance. Canstar research in May 2017 found that car insurance premiums for citizens of the Sunshine State are among the lowest in Australia.
Car Insurance for New Cars in QLD
According to Canstar research in May 2017, these are the average comprehensive car insurance premiums in QLD for a new car (registered in 2014 or more recently):
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|
| Average comprehensive car insurance premiums for QLD drivers (new car) | |
|---|---|
| Driver profile | Annual premium |
| Family | $1,548 |
| 45+ years old | $579 |
| 30-44 years old | $648 |
| 25-29 Female | $784 |
| 25-29 Male | $839 |
| Under 25 Female | $1,469 |
| Under 25 Male | $1,646 |
Source: Canstar, May 2016. Premiums rounded down to nearest dollar.
Car Insurance for Older Cars in QLD
Our researchers also calculated the average QLD comprehensive car insurance premiums for drivers who own an older car (pre-2008).
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|
| Average comprehensive car insurance premiums for QLD drivers (older car) | |
|---|---|
| Driver profile | Annual premium |
| Family | $1,442 |
| 45+ years old | $525 |
| 30-44 years old | $589 |
| 25-29 Female | $534 |
| 25-29 Male | $567 |
| Under 25 Female | $1,302 |
| Under 25 Male | $1,473 |
Source: Canstar, May 2016. Premiums rounded down to nearest dollar.
QLD Comprehensive Car Insurance vs Other Levels of Car Insurance
Like every other state and territory, Queensland requires all car owners to have compulsory third party (CTP) or ‘green slip’ insurance as a bare minimum level of coverage.
This is how the coverage typically varies between different levels:
| Type | Damage to your car | Damage to other people’s property (e.g. other cars) | Damage or loss caused by theft of your car | Injuries or death to other people in an accident |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compulsory third party |  |
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| Third party property | |
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| Third party property, fire and theft | |
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| Comprehensive | |
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A comprehensive car insurance policy can give you the most peace of mind, but comprehensive coverage can vary between different providers. That’s why Canstar rates QLD policies on value as well as price.
Comprehensive car insurance – features Canstar looks for
Car insurance isn’t just about price – the cheapest car insurance policy isn’t necessarily going to give you the level of insurance cover you need. Some of the features that Canstar looks for when assessing the value of car insurance in Queensland includes:
| Policy Benefits & Options | |
|---|---|
| After Accident Care | Towing after accident, vehicle returned after repairs, Taxi fares covered after accident, Emergency accommodation after accident, Accident cleanup benefit/public liability cover, max |
| Repairs | Repair for excess outlay, lifetime guarantee, choose own licenced repairer, genuine parts, help locating spare parts |
| Windscreen Cover | No-excess windscreen claim, extra cost |
| Other Cover | Personal effects covered in accident, Key replacement/recoding benefit if lost/damaged, Trailer/contents cover, Baby capsule/child seat cover, Death benefit. |
| Rental Car | Rental car included – after theft/accident, additional cost, max days/cost daily for rental car |
| Roadside Assistance | Roadside Assist offered, extra cost |
| Standard Company Terms | |
| Exclusions | Accidental damage, vandalism, fire/explosion, theft/attempted, hail, flood, storm, war |
| Company Terms | Agreed/Market value, New-for-new, Same cover for substitute car |
| Application/Claims Process & Support | |
| Application Process | Can apply online, over phone, in branch |
| Claims Process | Can lodge claim online, over phone, in branch, via mobile app |
| Support | 24 hour helpline, phone assistance no of days per week/hours per day for claims/application, weather alerts |
| Policy Terms | |
| Excess Options | Min/Max excess, default excess in each state, nil excess, non-nominated driver excess, windscreen excess, discount for higher excess |
| Premiums | Monthly payment, discount for additional driver age restriction, online discount, low km discount, no claims discount, multi-policy discount, discount for good driving |
| Eligibility | Minimum/Maximum entry age (These are new questions this rating required for information purposes only –whether to score them and the weight to assign, if any, is to be raised next rating) |
| Customer Claims Satisfaction | |
| Customer Claims Satisfaction | A survey is conducted measuring quality of service provided during claims |
What do QLD drivers want in a car insurance policy?
Based on the thousands of searches on Canstar’s car insurance comparison table each year, our data demonstrates that QLD drivers really appreciate policies that allow them to pay monthly at no extra cost. With regards to after accident care, QLD drivers strongly value a free repair service in their policy.
Features
QLD usage of the features filter on Canstar’s car insurance comparison table between 1st January 2016 to the 12th of September 2016:
- Pay monthly at no extra cost: 25.38%
- Agreed or market value: 23.81%
- Roadside Assistance: 15.18%
- Cover for unnamed drivers: 11.93%
- Reduction for driver’s age: 10.91%
- 24 hour help line: 7.19%
Note: Percentage values represent the distribution of usage of this filter
Features glossary:
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|
| Feature | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Pay monthly at no extra cost | The premium can be paid in monthly instalments without costing you more than it would if you were paying it annually. |
| Agreed or market value | The policy allows the driver to insure their car at either agreed or market value. |
| Roadside Assistance | On-road mechanical help for policyholders left stranded by their cars. |
| Cover for unnamed drivers | The insurance covers drivers of the vehicle that aren’t named on the policy. |
| Reduction for driver’s age | The policy allows holders to reduce the premium by putting an age restriction on who’s insured to drive the car. |
| 24 hour help line | The insurance provider has someone to speak to over the phone at any time of the day. |
After Accident Care
QLD usage of the after accident care filter on Canstar’s car insurance comparison table between 2nd January 2016 to the 17th of July 2016:
- Free repair service: 40.29%
- Can lodge claim online: 33.61%
- Emergency repairs available: 26.10%
Note: Percentage values represent the distribution of usage of this filter
After accident care glossary:
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|
| Feature | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Free repair service | Other than the excess payment, there’s no cost for repair when you make a claim. |
| Can lodge claim online | A claim on the policy can be made over the internet through the provider’s website/app. |
| Emergency repairs available | The policy allows immediate repairs to be made to the car (up to a certain cost) to help you get home or to a service station. |
QLD Road statistics
Important figures you should know about QLD roads:
How many cars?
Queensland has the third most registered motor vehicles in Australia (after NSW and VIC).
- There’s over 3.8 million of motor vehicles registered in the QLD (as at 31 January 2016)
- This makes up for around 20 percent of the 18.4 million motor vehicles in Australia.
Source: ABS
How many road deaths?
- In the year ending July 2016, 246 people died on QLD roads
- This made up around 19 percent of the total fatalities around the country (1,292) that year.
Source: Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development
Mobile phone usage:
According to a 2015 Canstar Blue survey, QLD drivers are slightly more responsible than the rest of the country when it comes to mobile phone usage on the road:
- 21% of QLD drivers admit to texting while driving (below the national rate of 26%)
- 12% admit to using social media while driving (below the national rate of 15%)
- 28% have made/received a phone call (without hands free) while driving (below the national rate of 32%)
Source: Canstar Blue
Crash hotspots:
QLD roads experienced 168 fatalities over the year ending 11th September 2016. By region, this was where they took place:
| Region | 12 Months Ending 11 Sept 2016 |
|---|---|
| North Queensland | 35 |
| Central Queensland | 21 |
| North Coast and Wide Bay/Burnett | 46 |
| Downs South West | 21 |
| Metropolitan | 28 |
| South Coast | 17 |
Source: QLD Department of Transport and Main Roads
QLD Car Crime Statistics
The price of your car insurance premium in QLD can be influenced by things such as crime rates. For example, if your suburb has a high number of car thefts, insurers are likely to take this into account to your detriment.
If your suburb is letting you down in that respect, don’t forget that car insurers also consider preventative measures which can lower your premium, such as:
- Parking your car in a garage rather than on the street
- Additional security features (e.g. a car alarm)
QLD Car Theft
According to the National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council, there were 8,723 car thefts in QLD over the year ending March 2016. This made up 16.4 percent of the national total (53,110). Remarkably, this was the same proportion as the year prior, when this 16.4 percent represented 8,256 QLD car thefts out of 50,200 around Australia.
These were the 10 QLD regions with the most car thefts:
| 10 Areas for QLD Car Theft (year ending March 2016) | |
|---|---|
| LGA | Number of car thefts |
| Brisbane | 1,891 |
| Gold Coast | 1,509 |
| Logan | 898 |
| Townsville | 644 |
| Moreton Bay | 608 |
| Cairns | 472 |
| Ipswich | 383 |
| Sunshine Coast | 366 |
| Toowoomba | 238 |
| Mackay | 170 |
Source: National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council
QLD Road Weather Dangers
Queensland is well-known for its wild summer storms. The sub-tropical climate along the east coast can often dish up some of the most ferocious displays of strong winds, thunder, lightning and pouring rain you’re ever likely to experience anywhere else in the world.
North Queensland typically bears the full brunt of summer cyclones, but extreme flooding can felt just about anywhere in the state. During the 2011 floods, three-quarters of QLD was declared a disaster zone.
If a road is flooded in Queensland, do not even attempt to drive through it unless it is an emergency. Water damage can easily write your car off. Flooded roads are also very dangerous. Queensland Fire and Emergency Services have been running “if it’s flooded, forget it” campaigns to remind people.
During Queensland’s storm season (November-April), keep up to date with the latest weather warnings through BOM and avoid parking beside trees. Also get your car under cover as soon as you hear of a hail threat.
When driving in rain, turn your headlights on and double your braking distance to 4 seconds.
Compare Comprehensive Car Insurance in Queensland
Canstar compares and rates comprehensive car insurance policies available in Queensland by taking into account both price and features. Following in-depth analysis and assessment, Canstar gives out a star rating to the policies each year. Canstar researchers award five stars to the comprehensive car insurance policies that offer outstanding value to consumers.