New South Australian claims data showing a 21% spring spike in animal collision claims converges with a national coverage picture that should concern brokers: cost-of-living pressures are driving a measurable share of Australian motorists away from comprehensive policies during the period when the risk those policies exclusively cover is at its annual peak.
The Royal Automobile Association of South Australia (RAA) released insurance claims data on September 3 showing animal collision claims rise 21% in spring compared to summer, with an average of 657 claims recorded each spring against 543 in summer across the three years from 2023 to 2026. Approximately 9 in 10 animal collision claims in South Australia involve crashes with kangaroos. RAA senior manager road safety and infrastructure Charles Mountain said the seasonal pattern repeated consistently across the data. “Most years we see animal collision claims rise as we move into the shoulder season of spring and autumn. Animals like kangaroos become more active at this time of year – especially at dawn and dusk – and with more vegetation growth along our roadsides, they’re often drawn closer to traffic,” Mountain said.
The South Australian figures sit within a national trend of rising frequency and cost. AAMI recorded more than 24,000 wildlife collision claims across Australia in 2025, with more than 4,500 vehicles written off and average claim costs exceeding $9,000. Separately, NRMA Insurance reported more than 15,000 animal collision claims in 2025, a 21% increase on 2024, with kangaroos accounting for 84% of all animal collision claims. AAMI’s analysis of 23,840 claims received between July 2024 and June 2025 found that one in five – 18% – resulted in a total write-off, with the average damage bill around $8,000. For brokers managing motor portfolios with rural or peri-urban exposure, those write-off rates carry direct implications for agreed-value versus market-value conversations at renewal.
Animal collision cover sits exclusively within comprehensive motor policies. GIO’s policy documentation confirms that comprehensive car insurance covers accidental damage caused by collision with an animal such as a kangaroo or wallaby, subject to conditions and exclusions, while third-party property damage or CTP policyholders won’t be covered for any damage to their vehicle. That exclusion now has a quantified population behind it. Research by Finder found that 3.2 million Australian drivers had lowered or ditched their car insurance policy in the last 12 months. Of those, 10% downgraded to a lower level of cover and 5% dropped car insurance entirely, with a further 3% reporting they had no insurance beyond compulsory cover to begin with.
Finder’s data puts average comprehensive car insurance at $1,362 per year, compared with $522 for third-party insurance – a differential of $840 annually that is weighing on household budgets. The premium pressure is structural, not transient. The Insurance Council of Australia’s (ICA) March 2025 motor insurance policy paper shows comprehensive motor premiums are up 42% since 2019, reaching an average of $1,052 per year in 2024, with average claims costs rising 42% over the same period and repair costs climbing 26% since 2022. A client who switched to third-party cover when their vehicle was worth less may now be self-insuring an asset whose replacement cost has risen materially – during a season when the risk that cover excludes is at its highest.
The financial exposure extends beyond the direct strike. AAMI’s research found one in five Australian drivers say they would swerve to avoid an animal, a reaction Mountain also cautioned against. “If you do see an animal on or near the road, brake safely but don’t swerve – swerving to avoid an animal can cause a far more serious crash than the collision itself,” he said. A driver who swerves to avoid an animal and subsequently leaves the road, strikes a barrier, or rolls over could face significant vehicle damage, although the cost and severity of such incidents will depend on the circumstances. Under a third-party property damage policy, damage the driver causes to another vehicle or property may be covered where the driver is legally liable, subject to the policy terms. Damage to the driver’s own vehicle would generally not be covered under third-party property damage insurance, whereas comprehensive cover generally provides cover for accidental damage to the insured vehicle, subject to the policy wording.
AAMI’s 2025 claims data identified Port Augusta, Coober Pedy, and Mount Gambier as South Australia’s top three animal collision hotspots. In New South Wales, Dubbo ranked first, followed by Broken Hill and Sutton, while Gisborne, Sunbury, and Toolern Vale were Victoria’s top three hotspots. For brokers with clients operating vehicles in regional areas, the geographic data provides a useful prompt to review motor exposures and coverage ahead of the spring period.
The convergence of seasonal data from RAA, rising national frequency and cost figures from AAMI and NRMA, a clearly defined coverage exclusion in non-comprehensive policies, and survey evidence from Finder that approximately 3.2 million Australian drivers have recently downgraded or dropped their cover creates a direct basis for broker outreach this September. The clients most exposed are those in regional or peri-urban locations who moved to third-party cover under premium pressure – at the start of the season when the risk that cover excludes peaks.
