Insurance in NZ
Discussion
After this rant about driving without insurance I am interested about you do it over in NZ
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=79310
A friend of mine who travelled there tells me he drove without insurance, as it is not required by law.
How does this system/claims work?
Just curious!
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=79310
A friend of mine who travelled there tells me he drove without insurance, as it is not required by law.
How does this system/claims work?
Just curious!
Hi
You are quite correct. Comprehensive and third party insurance is NOT compulsory in New Zealand. However, this isn't the problem that you might think.
Costs for treatment of personal injuries are met by ACC (a sort of government insurance scheme) on a no-fault basis. Therefore you are always covered in the even of an accident without hospitals sending bills to you (or your insurance co) afterwards.
If two uninsured cars have an accident, then it would be upto one driver to sue the other for damamges.
If an insured driver has an accident with an uninsured driver, and it's the uninsured drivers fault, the insured drivers company will pay up, as long as you can identify the other driver and prove it was their fault. If you have no claims protection, it doesn't even harm your policy.
So what happens in practice is that enough people are insured that the uninsured drivers don't cause a major problem. And insurance here is cheap - I pay about £90 pa for a Jeep Cherokee fully comp, no claims protected.
Another factor - I read in this weeks paper that the majority of accidents in NZ are single vehicle. The roads are less congested than most countries and a high proportion of accidents are young hoons wrapping their Japmobiles round trees late at night.
Hope that helps
Richard
You are quite correct. Comprehensive and third party insurance is NOT compulsory in New Zealand. However, this isn't the problem that you might think.
Costs for treatment of personal injuries are met by ACC (a sort of government insurance scheme) on a no-fault basis. Therefore you are always covered in the even of an accident without hospitals sending bills to you (or your insurance co) afterwards.
If two uninsured cars have an accident, then it would be upto one driver to sue the other for damamges.
If an insured driver has an accident with an uninsured driver, and it's the uninsured drivers fault, the insured drivers company will pay up, as long as you can identify the other driver and prove it was their fault. If you have no claims protection, it doesn't even harm your policy.
So what happens in practice is that enough people are insured that the uninsured drivers don't cause a major problem. And insurance here is cheap - I pay about £90 pa for a Jeep Cherokee fully comp, no claims protected.
Another factor - I read in this weeks paper that the majority of accidents in NZ are single vehicle. The roads are less congested than most countries and a high proportion of accidents are young hoons wrapping their Japmobiles round trees late at night.
Hope that helps
Richard
jamieheasman said:
My '75 BMW '02 Tii costs $70NZD (25 quid) per annum fully comp! The TVR Chimaera is about $900NZD (300quid) but I'm sure there are cheaper policies around.
Jeez Jamie, who are you using to insure each vehicle? I am with AMI for the TVR and paying about $ 350 which sounds worryingly low, although the policy reads OK. Do you have track day cover?
Cheers
Rich
AON - When I originally looked around for insurance (four and a half years ago) practically none of the companies I spoke to would even consider it, even if they knew what it was. I wanted the AA to cover it (as they look after our house, my wife's VR4 Legnum and my little BMW) but they didn't have it listed.
If I keep the car long enough to insure for another year I'll certainly give AMI a buzz, but you're right $350 does sound worriingly cheap - are you sure they don't have it down as a Primera? ;-) Which address is it insured at? Remember there's a big difference between Auckland and the rest of the country.
If I keep the car long enough to insure for another year I'll certainly give AMI a buzz, but you're right $350 does sound worriingly cheap - are you sure they don't have it down as a Primera? ;-) Which address is it insured at? Remember there's a big difference between Auckland and the rest of the country.
Jamie
AMI had to phone their underwriters and discuss it with them, although TVR came up on their database and the guy I dealt with knew what it was. Having looked at the policy this morning, the only concern would be that in the event of repairs being required, they would only pay for the NZ equivelent and not freight charges for parts to be sent from the UK. I'd need to think this through to see if it was a real problem. I would only think this would be a real problem if there was body damage that required replacements. Be interesting to see what your AON policy says about this?
The certificate is TVR Chimaera, so if they've made a mistake, it's their mistake! I've just checked in the garage, and there's definitely no Nissan Primaeval in there...
Richard
BTW, finished the manifolds (never doing that again) and the phut phut sound has gone, but there is still a ticking sound at idle which I'm investigating. Managed to sheer screw on the manifold/y bend clamp - luckily my local mechanical whizz managed to find a fix. Then found my modwise dual speed fan system was up the spout and had to source a replacement thermostat. Luckily problems on TVRs are like London buses - nothing then three at once, then nothing again...(touches wood).
AMI had to phone their underwriters and discuss it with them, although TVR came up on their database and the guy I dealt with knew what it was. Having looked at the policy this morning, the only concern would be that in the event of repairs being required, they would only pay for the NZ equivelent and not freight charges for parts to be sent from the UK. I'd need to think this through to see if it was a real problem. I would only think this would be a real problem if there was body damage that required replacements. Be interesting to see what your AON policy says about this?
The certificate is TVR Chimaera, so if they've made a mistake, it's their mistake! I've just checked in the garage, and there's definitely no Nissan Primaeval in there...
Richard
BTW, finished the manifolds (never doing that again) and the phut phut sound has gone, but there is still a ticking sound at idle which I'm investigating. Managed to sheer screw on the manifold/y bend clamp - luckily my local mechanical whizz managed to find a fix. Then found my modwise dual speed fan system was up the spout and had to source a replacement thermostat. Luckily problems on TVRs are like London buses - nothing then three at once, then nothing again...(touches wood).
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