A survey by insurance firm SGIO has found that majority or 70% of Western Australian families who drive rely heavily on their cars, yet only 30% have insurance cover with car hire. The study added that car plays a vital role in a household's earning ability.

SGIO Car Insurance spokesperson Mariana Cidade said most families rely heavily on their car for their day-to-day activities.

'Our survey showed that almost 60% of families don't know what they'd do without their cars with a further 15% saying they would borrow someone's car or a partner's to get by.

'Every day activities essential to running the household would be impacted by the loss of a car, with 98% using the car for grocery shopping, 85% for visiting relatives and 80% for taking kids to school or childcare.

'The loss of a car may also impact the household's income earning capability, with more than half of families using the car to drive to work. It was concerning to see that more than 70% of families did not know if they would be provided with a hire car or did not have hire car cover with their policies,' said Ms Cidade.

SGIO Car Insurance recommends car-reliant families add the hire car option to their Comprehensive Car insurance, or take out Comprehensive Plus Car insurance.

Comprehensive Plus Car Insurance offers SGIO's highest available level of car insurance cover, including unlimited car hire until customers are back on the road and taxi benefits are a standard feature.

* Based on a survey of WA families by Pure Profile Research in March 2011

When making decisions about the product you should consider the Product Disclosure Statement available from SGIO.

SGIO is a leading insurance provider, offering Home Insurance, Car Insurance, Motorcycle Insurance, Travel Insurance, Business Insurance, Boat Insurance, Health Insurance and Caravan Insurance in Western Australia.