Your driving record affects your green slip price

Did you know the way you drive is an important factor in your green slip price? Find out how to be what insurers consider to be be a ‘good’ driver. We reveal how much your driving record affects your greenslip price.

Am I a ‘good’ driver?

Good drivers tend to be over 30 with more driving experience. They have no demerit points, traffic offences or insurance claims. They also drive fairly up-to-date, insured vehicles with safety features.

These types of drivers qualify for cheaper greenslips.

What questions do insurers ask about my driving?

Insurers ask about your driving and claims history to provide an accurate quote for a greenslip:

• Any demerit points on your licence (and licence of any other drivers)
• Road accidents in the last 2-5 years that were your fault
• Any drivers licence suspensions, disqualifications, cancellations or restrictions in the last 3 years and, if so, any drug and alcohol convictions in the last 3 years.

Each insurer has different ways of pricing these factors. The best way to find out who offers the cheapest green slip price for your driving history is to use the green slip calculator.

Why are demerit points so important?

Insurers treat demerit points as a sign of your potential risk of having an accident and making a claim. Some charge a much higher price for even one demerit point, while others charge more for a few demerit points.

Some people say they ‘lose’ points on their licence. In fact, everybody starts off with zero demerit points. You accumulate demerit points on your licence with each offence. If you reach 13 points within a 3-year period, your licence will be refused or suspended.

Check your demerit points now. 

How do demerit points affect my green slip price?

We used the green slip calculator for a woman, 45, with an insured station wagon in the metro area, with 0-3 demerit points at 1 December 2025.

In this case, the highest green slip price for only 1 demerit point was $775. This is $233 (43%) more than the cheapest green slip price without demerit points ($542). It pays to compare green slip prices.

What if I had a road accident that was my fault?

If you have had any at-fault accidents in the last 2-5 years, insurers need to know. This is an indication you may have been driving unsafely and made a claim.

Whether or not you were at fault is not always obvious. The law says at fault means you were 100% at fault or your contribution to the accident (contributory negligence) was more than 61%. The insurer decides this if you make a claim on your green slip.

The price of your green slip (see example below) does increase if you had an at-fault accident in the past 2-5 years. However, this will cease to affect the price as time passes without another accident.

What do insurers need to know about my licence?

Insurers ask if you had any drivers licence suspensions, restrictions, cancellations or disqualifications in the past 3 years:

• Cancellation – If a licence has lapsed for over 2 years, or police confiscate your licence or you surrender your licence.
• Disqualification – Imposed by the court.
• Restriction – Licence conditions, such as driving within a certain distance or only at certain times of day
• Suspension – Temporary loss of licence for a fixed period.

If any of these applied in the last 3 years, insurers ask about any convictions or fines for drug or alcohol-related driving. Remember, you can be stopped at any time for random breath testing (RBT) and mobile drug testing (MDT) on NSW roads

How much does bad driving affect my green slip price?

We used the green slip calculator for a woman, 45, with a station wagon in the metro area who was a good or bad driver. The bad driver had no other insurance or 2 demerit points or a recent at-fault accident or all three, at 1 December 2025.

The highest green slip price for all 3 signs of bad driving was $774. Once again, this was $232 (43%) more than the lowest greenslip price of $542 for a good driver. It pays to compare green slip prices.

Can I get green slip discounts for good driving?

No, your green slip is already discounted on the basis of favourable risk factors. For example, if you have no demerit points and haven’t made a recent claim on your insurance, insurers discount your green slip.

• Insurers can’t offer any further discounts as long as your green slip price is based accurately on you and your vehicle.
• No matter where or how you purchase your green slip, prices should be the same for the same information.
• Agents or brokers can’t offer a lower price than the one quoted by the insurer.

Insurers can offer discounts on their other insurance policies if you also hold a green slip from them. Some offer multipolicy discounts – but the discount is not on the green slip itself.

Get the cheapest price guaranteed.

How can I get a cheaper green slip?

If you are a ‘good’ driver, you should get the cheapest green slip prices. You can also reduce the price of your green slip by knowing how insurers set prices. For example:

• Avoid getting further demerit points.
• Buy comprehensive or third party property insurance.
• Don’t make any minor motor insurance claims.

Check your green slip prices by using the green slip calculator.