As we build up to the election, the National Party says car insurance details should be displayed on drivers’ car registration labels, for everyone to see. It’s an interesting policy but is it another case of the haves and have nots?!
The party is campaigning on a policy that would require car insurance details to be on display, with leader Judith Collins saying it would encourage drivers to get insured.
“This will solve the problem of some drivers who lie about their insurance status to protect their excess,” Collins said, in a statement on Monday.
“If anyone was involved in an accident with you, you could literally walk over and see who their insurer was.”
Is car insurance compulsory in NZ?
The National Party wants car insurance details to be displayed on a driver’s car registration label, and is campaigning on the policy. This policy would go some way towards an almost compulsory insurance situation for motor vehicles. New Zealand is one of a few westernised countries that don’t actually require a driver to have car insurance, but if you’ve ever been in a crash with someone who doesn’t have insurance you can understand the frustration around uninsured drivers…
One big barrier behind compulsory insurance is, of course, the cost, but there are things that can be done about that and that’s where sites like Money Compare come in with a way to help consumers compare car insurance policies and plans.
Collins said it would be both difficult and expensive to make it compulsory for all drivers to get car insurance.
“Thousands of responsible Kiwis end up out of pocket or taking legal action because of the irresponsible actions of uninsured drivers ... National doesn’t believe that's fair,” she said.
National’s transport spokesperson Chris Bishop said requiring insurance details to be listed on registration labels would encourage more people to take up insurance.
“By applying a bit of nudge theory we believe it is highly likely to increase insurance uptake, because who wants to drive around with an ‘uninsured’ vehicle sticker in their window?” he said.
A mock-up of what insurance details on a car registration label might look like is shown above.
If you are uninsured, it may not be as expensive as you think to get car insurance and if you are looking for cheap car insurance we have a number of car insurance best buys at present including online discounts on car insurance and getting a month car insurance premium for free. So what are you waiting for? Compare your car insurance now and see if you can save.
