It has been described by the Association of British Insurers as an epidemic - and now new research from the AA shows the true cost of mounting numbers of whiplash personal injury claims.
According to the report, 1,200 people claim for whiplash injuries every day in the UK - an increase of 25 per cent over the last five years. In 2007, there were 430,000 people claiming on their car insurance for whiplash injuries which cost the industry a cool £1.9 billion in compensation.
Unfortunately for car insurance customers, the companies have to get the money to pay for these claims from somewhere - and AA Insurance estimates that whiplash claims hike every car insurance policy in the UK by around £66. This is more than twice the cost of claims for accidents with uninsured drivers.
Whiplash is likely to become an increasingly important factor in future premium increases - already over the last year the average quoted shop-around car insurance premium has leapt by 8.7 per cent. So how can drivers protect themselves and avoid placing further pressure on their premiums?
The first step of course, is to avoid accidents altogether. While you can't always prepare for the actions of others, you can reduce your risk by insuring your vehicle is well-maintained and that you drive within the road rules. Stick to speed limits and leave suitable stopping distances between your car and the vehicle in front - two seconds normally, but double this in icy or wet conditions.
If an accident does occur you could avoid whiplash if you have adjusted your head restraints before driving. The top of the head restraint should be level with the top of the driver's head and it should never be lower than eye level.
Remember that any claim on your car insurance will wipe out a no-claims bonus and bump up your premiums. The only exception is if you take out no-claims discount protection - compare car insurance with a comparison website to find insurers that offer this feature. |
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