Whiplash injuries add £66 to car insurance policies, says the AA

14 Nov 2008

A rising number of personal injury claims for whiplash is adding £66 to car insurance policies, the AA has said.

Contributing to an Association of British Insurers report, the AA said that 430,000 people claimed for whiplash injury in 2007, costing the insurance industry £1.9 billion in compensation.

It found that 1,200 people claim for such injuries every day after a collision, which is a 25 per cent increase over the past five years. The £66 addition is more than twice the cost of claims for accidents with uninsured drivers.

AA president Edmund King urged drivers and passengers to adjust their head restraints properly and keep a stopping distance of two seconds or more from the car in front.

Meanwhile, research by Abbey has found that British motorists take more than 34 million car journeys a year for distances of less than one kilometre. According to its survey though, two-thirds are trying to use their cars less as household bills increase.

 

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