Car insurance

Why Aucklanders pay 16% more

Aucklanders are paying 16 per more on average for car insurance a year than what the average Kiwi pays.

Canstar research shows people who live in the country’s biggest city pay on average $824 a year — $136 more than the average Kiwi and $330 more than people who live in Hawke’s Bay, which is the cheapest place to insure a car in New Zealand.

Jose George, general manager of Canstar New Zealand, said the higher rates in Auckland were likely linked to greater risk factors.

“There is a higher incidence of accidents in Auckland compared to other parts of the country.”

He said the higher number of Aucklanders who commuted to work by car was also a factor.

Census data from 2013 showed 82.6 per cent of people who travelled to work in Auckland went by car.

That compares with 64.6 per cent of people who travelled to work by car in Wellington.

“What that is suggesting is the risk factors are far more pronounced in Auckland.”

George said higher insurance costs in Auckland may also indicate that Aucklanders were insuring higherspec cars.

Canstar’s research also found the baby-boomer age-group on average had lower insurance premiums compared with younger generations.

Baby boomers — those now aged between 53 and 71 — paid on average $661 a year while Generation X (aged about 35 to 52) paid $676 a year.

Generation Y (aged about 21 to 34) paid the most on average at $723 a year.

The research also confirmed previ- ous figures which show females on average pay less than males.

The average amount paid by males was $694 a year compared with $680 for females.

But despite the cost of insurance, few people were taking steps to make it more affordable.

Just 23 per cent of people paid their premiums in instalments to manage the cost and only 28 per cent had their home and car insurance with the same provider.

George said combining home and car insurance with the same provider was a common-sense approach which could give people economies of scale.

While spreading the cost of insurance could help make it more affordable it could also cost more in some instances.

The research surveyed 1680 Kiwi drivers.