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Learn about the impact of drink driving on your car insurance with Savvy.
Fact checked
In Australia, driving while over the limit is a criminal offence. Causing a drink driving accident can therefore have significant legal and financial consequences, including the voidance of your car insurance policy.
In this guide, Savvy examines the implications of drink driving, looking at what happens if you cause an accident while drink driving and the impact on your car insurance.
No. If you are over the limit and cause an accident, your car insurance policy will be voided and you will not be covered for any claims. You will also not be covered if you refuse to take a test for alcohol after the incident.
If you have been drinking but are under the limit, any insurance claims could still be refused if you are deemed to be under the influence of or having your judgement affected by alcohol – your insurer will detail this in its product disclosure statement. You may also face other consequences down the line such as non-renewal of your policy or higher car insurance premiums.
In Australia, if you hold a full licence and get behind the wheel of a car with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05 or above, you are breaking the law. If you are on a learner’s or provisional licence, your BAC must be zero.
If you are caught driving over the limit, penalties include demerit points and immediate loss of licence. However, even if you are under the legal limit, if you have been involved in an incident after drinking alcohol, you could face repercussions.
You will likely find it difficult to get car insurance if you have a criminal offence on your record such as drink driving conviction. Many insurers will refuse to cover a driver with a suspension on their record, although some may accept a single licence suspension on your record.
If you do find car insurance cover, you may face significantly higher premiums or excess.
If you have a drink driving conviction and your licence has been suspended or cancelled, you will have to meet a number of requirements to be allowed to drive again. This may include:
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Disclaimer:
Savvy (ABN 78 660 493 194, ACR 541 339) provides readers with a variety of car insurance policies to compare. Savvy earns a commission from our partnered insurers each time a customer buys a car insurance policy via our website. All purchases are conducted via our partners’ websites. The integrity of our comparison service is unaffected by our partnerships with those businesses and our effort remains to bring further brands that do not already use our comparison service onboard.
Savvy’s comparison service includes selected products from a panel of trusted insurers and does not compare all products in the market. Any advice presented above or on other pages is general in nature and doesn’t consider your personal or business objectives, needs or finances. It’s always important to consider whether advice is suitable for you before purchasing an insurance policy. We always recommend readers to consult the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) of different policies before purchasing your car insurance.
Quantum Savvy Pty Ltd (ABN 78 660 493 194) trades as Savvy and operates as an Authorised Credit Representative 541339 of Australian Credit Licence 414426 (AFAS Group Pty Ltd, ABN 12 134 138 686). We are one of Australia’s leading financial comparison sites and have been helping Australians make savvy decisions when it comes to their money for over a decade.
We’re partnered with lenders, insurers and other financial institutions who compensate us for business initiated through our website. We earn a commission each time a customer chooses or buys a product advertised on our site, which you can find out more about here, as well as in our credit guide for asset finance. It’s also crucial to read the terms and conditions, Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) or credit guide of our partners before signing up for your chosen product. However, the compensation we receive doesn’t impact the content written and published on our website, as our writing team exercises full editorial independence.
For more information about us and how we conduct our business, you can read our privacy policy and terms of use.
© Copyright 2024 Quantum Savvy Pty Ltd T/as Savvy. All Rights Reserved.
© Copyright 2024 Quantum Savvy Pty Ltd T/as Savvy. All Rights Reserved.
Quantum Savvy Pty Ltd (ABN 78 660 493 194) trades as Savvy and operates as an Authorised Credit Representative 541339 of Australian Credit Licence 414426 (AFAS Group Pty Ltd, ABN 12 134 138 686). We are one of Australia’s leading financial comparison sites and have been helping Australians make savvy decisions when it comes to their money for over a decade.
We’re partnered with lenders, insurers and other financial institutions who compensate us for business initiated through our website. We earn a commission each time a customer chooses or buys a product advertised on our site, which you can find out more about here, as well as in our credit guide for asset finance. It’s also crucial to read the terms and conditions, Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) or credit guide of our partners before signing up for your chosen product. However, the compensation we receive doesn’t impact the content written and published on our website, as our writing team exercises full editorial independence.
For more information about us and how we conduct our business, you can read our privacy policy and terms of use.