I have no idea and never thought about it. Hmmmm....

Dizz said it is in Canada. I was hoping Roxy could shed some light on how it is in Oz.

Does this help?

Public policy


In many jurisdictions it is compulsory to have vehicle insurance
before using or keeping a motor vehicle on public roads. Most
jurisdictions relate insurance to both the car and the driver, however
the degree of each varies greatly.
[[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]] Australia


In [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], Third Party Personal
insurance from the Motor
Accident Commission is included in the licence registration fee for
people over 16. A similar scheme applies in [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].
In [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.],
Third Party Personal insurance from the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
is similarly included, through a levy, in the vehicle registration fee.
In [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], Compulsory Third Party Insurance
(commonly known as CTP Insurance) is a mandatory requirement and each
individual car must be insured or the vehicle will not be considered
legal. Therefore, a motorist cannot drive the vehicle until it is
insured. A 'Green Slip,'^{[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]}
another name CTP Insurance is commonly known by due to the colour of
the pages the form is printed on, must be obtained through one of the
seven main insurers in New South Wales.
In [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], CTP is a mandatory part of
registration for a vehicle. There is choice of insurer but price is
government controlled in a tight band.
These state based third party insurance schemes usually cover only
personal injury liability. Comprehensive vehicle insurance is sold
separately to cover property damage and cover can be for events such as
fire, theft, collision and other property damage.
[[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]] Canada


Several [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
provinces ([You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.],
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
and [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.])
provide a [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] system while in
the rest of the country insurance is provided privately. Basic auto
insurance is mandatory throughout Canada with each province's government
determining which benefits are included as minimum required auto
insurance coverage and which benefits are options available for those
seeking additional coverage. Accident benefits coverage is mandatory
everywhere except for [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]. All
provinces in Canada have some form of [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] available to accident victims. The
difference from province to province is the extent to which tort or
no-fault is emphasized.^{[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]}
Typically, coverage against loss of or damage to the driver's own
vehicle is optional - one notable exception to this is in [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.],
where [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] provides collision
coverage (less than a $700 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.],
such as a collision damage
waiver) as part of its basic insurance policy. In Saskatchewan,
residents have the option to have their auto insurance through a tort
system but less than 0.5% of the population have taken this option.^{[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]}
[[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]] Germany


Since 1939 it is compulsory to have third party personal insurance
before keeping a motor vehicle in all federal states of [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].
Besides, every vehicle owner is free to take out a comprehensive
insurance policy. All types of car insurances are provided by several
private insurers. The amount of insurance contribution is determined by
several criteria, like the region, the type of car or the personal way
of driving.^{[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]}
[[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]] Hungary


Third-party vehicle insurance is mandatory for all vehicles in [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].
No exemption is possible by money deposit. The premium covers all
damage up to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] 500M (about [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]1.8M) per
accident without deductible. The coverage is extended to [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
500M (about [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]4.5M)
in case of personal injuries. Vehicle insurance policies from all
EU-countries and some non-EU countries are valid in Hungary based on
bilateral or multilateral agreements. Visitors with vehicle insurance
not covered by such agreements are required to buy a monthly, renewable
policy at the border.^{[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]}
[[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]] Ireland


The Road Traffic Act, 1933 requires all drivers of mechanically
propelled vehicles in public places to have at least third-party
insurance, or to have obtained exemption - generally by depositing a
(large) sum of money with the High Court as a guarantee against claims.
In 1933 this figure was set at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]15,000. The
Road Traffic Act, 1961 [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] (which is currently
in force) repealed the 1933 act but replaced these sections with
functionally identical sections.
From 1968, those making deposits require the consent of the Minister
for Transport to do so, with the sum specified by the Minister.
Those not exempted from obtaining insurance must obtain a certificate
of insurance from their insurance provider, and display a portion of
this (an [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.])
on their vehicles windscreen (if fitted). The certificate in full must
be presented to a police station within ten days if requested by an
officer. Proof of having insurance or an exemption must also be provided
to pay for the motor
tax.
Those injured or suffering property damage/loss due to uninsured
drivers can claim against the Motor Insurance Bureau of Ireland's
uninsured drivers fund, as can those injured (but not those suffering
damage or loss) from hit and run offences.
[[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]] Romania


[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
law mandates [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], a motor-vehicle liability
insurance for all vehicle owners to cover damages to third parties.^{[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]}
[[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]] South Africa


[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] allocates a percentage of the money from
gasoline into the Road Accidents Fund, which goes towards compensating
third parties in accidents.^{[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.][You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]}
[[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]] United Kingdom


In 1930, the UK government introduced a law that required every
person who used a vehicle on the road to have at least third party
personal injury insurance. Today UK law is defined by the Road
Traffic Act 1988, which was last modified in 1991. The Act requires
that motorists either be insured, have a security, or have made a
specified deposit ([You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]500,000 as of 1991) with the
Accountant General of the Supreme Court, against their liability for
injuries to others (including passengers) and for damage to other
persons' property resulting from use of a vehicle on a public road or in
other public places.
The minimum level of insurance cover commonly available and which
satisfies the requirement of the Act is called third party only
insurance. The level of cover provided by Third party only
insurance is basic but does exceed the requirements of the act.
Road Traffic Act Only Insurance is not the same as Third
Party Only Insurance and is not often sold. It provides the very
minimum cover to satisfy the requirements of the Act. For example Road
Traffic Act Only Insurance has a limit of £1,000,000 for damage to
third party property - third party only insurance typically has a
greater limit for third party property damage.
It is an offense to drive a car, or allow others to drive it, without
at least third party insurance whilst on the public highway (or public
place Section 143(1)(a) RTA 1988 as amended 1991); however, no such
legislation applies on private land.
Vehicles which are exempted by the act, from the requirement to be
covered, include those owned by certain councils and local authorities,
national park authorities, education authorities, police authorities,
fire authorities, health service bodies and security services.
The insurance certificate or cover note issued by the insurance
company constitutes legal evidence that the vehicle specified on the
document is insured. The law says that an authorised person, such as the
police, may require a driver to produce an insurance certificate for
inspection. If the driver cannot show the document immediately on
request, and proof of insurance cannot be found by other means such as
the Police National Computer, drivers are no longer issued a HORT/1.
This was an order with seven days, as of midnight of the date of issue,
to take a valid insurance certificate (and usually other driving
documents as well) to a police station of the driver's choice. Failure
to produce an insurance certificate is an offence. The HORT/1 was
commonly known - even by the issuing authorities when dealing with the
public - as a "Producer".
Insurance is more expensive in [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] than in other parts of the UK.^{[[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]][[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]]}
Most motorists in the UK are required to prominently display a [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] (tax disc) on their vehicle
when it is kept or driven on public roads. This helps to ensure that
most people have adequate insurance on their vehicles because an
insurance certificate must be produced when a disc is purchased.^{[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]}
The [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] compensates
the victims of road accidents caused by uninsured and untraced
motorists. It also operates the Motor Insurance Database, which contains
details of every insured vehicle in the country.
[[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]] United States


In the United States, auto insurance covering liability for injuries
and property damage done to others is compulsory in most states, though
different states enforce the requirement differently. The state of New
Hampshire, for example, does not require motorists to carry
liability insurance (the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]), while in [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
residents must pay the state a $500 annual fee per vehicle if they
choose not to buy liability insurance.^{[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]}
Penalties for not purchasing auto insurance vary by state, but often
involve a substantial fine, license and/or registration suspension or
revocation, as well as possible jail time. Usually, the minimum required
by law is third party insurance to protect third parties against the
financial consequences of loss, damage or injury caused by a vehicle.
Several states, like California and New Jersey, have enacted
"Personal Responsibility Acts" which put further pressure on all drivers
to carry liability insurance by preventing uninsured drivers from
recovering noneconomic damages (e.g. compensation for "pain and
suffering") if they are injured in any way while operating a motor
vehicle.
Some states, such as [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], require that a driver hold liability
insurance before a license can be issued.
Some states require that insurance be carried in the car at all
times, while others do not enforce this law. For example, North Carolina
does not specify that you must carry proof of insurance in the vehicle;
however, NC does state that you must have that information to trade
with another driver in the event of an accident. Whether a state
specifies you must have proof of insurance in the car or not, it's
always advisable to have the information on hand in case an officer
should request it.
Arizona Department of Transportation Research Project Manager John
Semmens has recommended that car insurers issue license plates, and that
they be held responsible for the full cost of injuries and property
damages caused by their licensees under the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]. Plates would expire at the end of the
insurance coverage period, and licensees would need to return their
plates to their insurance office to receive a refund on their premiums.
Vehicles driving without insurance would thus be easy to spot because
they would not have license plates, or the plates would be past the
marked expiration date.^{[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]}

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Why yes, it does help! Thanks Breezey!

You're welcome. I got tired of trying to find one country at a time and then that popped up. lol

Good job!

Tater,

Short answer: No.

Not even all states in the U.S. have madatory
vehicle insurance.

"Most" countries? No.
The Middle Eastern countries have little-to-no need
for vehicle insurance at all because they have very
very few motorized vehicles. Period.
BUT... [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
More and more countries; as they become industrialized ;
autos become more affordable; and therefore more prevelant
in them, are requiring mandatory vehicle insurance.

Most Western European countries require it of their citizens
who own a vehicle of any kind that is "street legal" and motorized.


[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
In so far as I can tell - and in my personal experience- ?
(which is limited at best)

All countries require full coverage :
- liability, medical collision, theft, and comprehensive, for
Rental Vehicles.
Regardless of who (citizen or visitor) is renting the vehicle.

In addition, they require visting foreign nationals to have
(along with a Passport and/or Visa [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]) - a valid Driver's License
from their home country, and proof of vehicle insurance there.
Then , they must obtain full insurance for the vehicle
they will be driving while visitng.
Then... [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] they will be issued a TemporaryDriving Permit
(issued by the 'host country') in order to drive in that country.

Neighboring countries - ie; the U.S.A and Canada-
or France and England, etc., do not require a Passport
and accept the visiting citizen's country's valid driver's
license and their proof of valid vehicle insurance issued
in their home country.

(It is a reciprocal courtesy, for the vistor who will be
driving from one country to the other) -
as in the U.S. and Mexico.

HOWEVER... [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Mexico now requires - and the U.S. insists! - that visitors
to Mexico from the U.S. have a valid U.S. PASSPORT.
(or a valid Visa) - issued here -
... if the person entering Mexico will be returning to the U.S.

And... if Americans enter Canada from a 3rd country -
DITTO. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Welcome to 'TERRORISM : 2010.'
I'm sure "things" have gotten stricter in Europe, too.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] It used to be a: smile, a wave, and a noatarized note;
handwriten (by me) and signed by ME and the Notary [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.],
stating my name, D.O.B.; stating that I'm a a U.S. citizen
and that I am visitng - (read: TEMPORARY) staying no
longer than _ _ _ - usually no more than 2 weeks.
(In my case I think 3 days was the most time I've ever spent
in Mexico at one time.)
The whole thing took up less than half a sheet of stionery.
I showed the guards my little paper and my driver's license,
if I was driving, at the border.

Smile, "Bienvenidos, Senorita, hasta la leugo."
"Y tu, Senor." .Smile, wave bye-bye.

Staying longer?
Gotta have a visa.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Longer? [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
"Perque? / Why...". [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Gotta have a work permit - or sumpthin'.[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

It was NOOO problem(o). [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

(A POX! ON TERRORISTS! ANY NATIONALITY ANYWHERE. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Then...
In so far as I know, ALL European countries require inusrance
for "foreigners" [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.] and ALL rental vehicles MUST be insured -
to the EYBROWS ! regardless of who rents them - or where.
(CPT insurance)

~~~ AND ~~~

The former Soviet Republic (it was Armenia -is it still...?)
just made vehicle insurance mandatory. Progress.
Sorta.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Woo hoo. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Last edited by Ja'aj on Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:13 pm; edited 2 times in total (Reason for editing : BECAUSE... I am inept; constantly interrupted and TIRED. )~...)

Thank you Jaaj, you made some good points. I suppose I should have said "in developed countries", as in many third world countries, very few people can afford a car, let alone insurance.

Tater Salad wrote:Thank you Jaaj, you made some good points. I suppose I should have said "in developed countries", as in many third world countries, very few people can afford a car, let alone insurance.

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]Hi, Tater! [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
You're welcome. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
(My computer and this site are at WAR...)
I will TRY - AGAIN- to clean up and make more
sense of my post... after a while. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
... Maybe ... [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]


Yup -
In the Middle East - no cars to speak of;
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
(relatively speaking ) [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
and NO ROADS to speak of either. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

GAS... they got. [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

yep, and we get comprehensive insurance seperately, it's a choice .if no comprehensive insurance and you have an accident,you will have to pay ,regardless of the cost, for the damage you do.i figured i was a careful driver, so for years i did not have comprehensive insurance ,until i bumped into some one and had to pay for the damage i did to the other car, lucky it was minor damage ,but several hundred bucks nevertheless .so properly insured ever since.