Whiplash claims cost motorists £66
Friday, 14 Nov 2008 14:16
Whiplash claims add £66 to every motor insurance
Whiplash claims following a car accident add £66 to every car insurance policy in the UK, the Association of British Insurers said today.
The UK is the whiplash capital of Europe with whiplash accounting for 75 per cent of motor personal injury claims, compared to 40 per cent for the rest of Europe, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI).
In a report highlighting the problem, the ABI said over 430,000 people claimed for whiplash in 2007, up by a quarter in the last five years, at a cost of £2 billion.
Stephen Haddrill, the ABI's director general, said: "Whiplash imposes unacceptable costs to individuals, businesses and the state. Insurers want to reduce whiplash, provide fast care and compensation and tackle fraudulent claims.
"But we cannot do this alone. We call on the government, road safety groups, the medical and legal professions and other stakeholders to work with us on a campaign to reduce this problem."
However, Edmund King, president of the AA, said most whiplash injuries are avoidable: "Drivers and passengers can help prevent themselves becoming victims of whiplash by adjusting head restraints before they drive off.
"The top of the head restraint should be level with the top of the driver's head, or at least no lower then eye level.
"Drivers can avoid inflicting whiplash on themselves and others by keeping a safe distance - at least two seconds - from the vehicle ahead."
The ABI is proposing learner drivers should be taught the importance of safe following distances, while vehicle retailers should demonstrate, when selling a vehicle, how to correctly adjust the head restraint.
In addition, the government should develop and implement clear guidance on how to effectively diagnose and treat whiplash.