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The
UK's whiplash epidemic is adding an extra £66 a year to the
average motor insurance premium - ABI reveals whiplash epidemic.
__________________________________
14
November 2008
Research
published today, 14 November, by the ABI
(Association of British Insurers) exposes for the first
time the scale and the cost of the UK's whiplash epidemic.
Every day, nearly 1,200 people claim for whiplash following
a motor collision. This figure has risen by a quarter in the
last five years, and is six times the number of workplace
injury claims made each year. To stem the tide, the ABI has
joined forces with motoring and road safety groups to set
out a programme for action.
The
ABI report, ‘Tackling Whiplash: Prevention, Care, Compensation',
highlights that:
- Over
430,000 people claimed for whiplash in 2007, up by a quarter
in the last five years. These claims cost nearly £2 billion
a year in compensation
-
Treating whiplash injuries now costs the NHS approximately
£8 million a year in consultation fees.
- The
UK is the whiplash capital of Europe: 75% of motor personal
injury claims are for whiplash, compared to an average of
40% throughout the rest of Europe.
- Many
drivers and passengers are at risk: 75% of drivers are unaware
how head restraints should be correctly positioned
Reasons
for the rise in whiplash include: motorists tailgating the
car in front, and incorrectly adjusted head restraints. In
many cases recovery is inhibited by the slow legal process,
leading to delays in rehabilitation.
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."
Proposals
for reducing whiplash and its effects include:
- The
Government's proposed new framework for learner drivers
should emphasise the importance of safe following distances
- Vehicle
retailers should demonstrate, when selling a vehicle, how
to correctly adjust the head restraint.
- The
Government should develop and implement clear guidance on
how to effectively diagnose and treat whiplash.
Notes
about this ABI Press Release
- The
organisations supporting the ABI in its call for action
are: the AA, Driving for Better Business, the Parliamentary
Advisory Council for Transport Safety, and the Royal Society
for the Prevention of Accidents.
- Whiplash
is the term used to describe neck pain that occurs after
the soft tissue in the spine has been stretched and strained
after the body has been thrown by a sudden and forceful
jerk. It is normally caused by a rear-end motor collision.
- The
ABI is the voice of the insurance and investment industry.
Its members constitute over 90 per cent of the insurance
market in the UK and 20 per cent across the EU. They control
assets equivalent to a quarter of the UK's capital. They
are the risk managers of the UK's economy and society. Through
the ABI their voice is heard in Government and in public
debate on insurance, savings and investment matters.
Further
Information
The
UK's whiplash epidemic is adding an extra £66 a year to the
average motor insurance premium
"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 than 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 AA
"It
is important that we all try and get into the habit of correctly
adjusting a head restraint when we get into a car,so that
it becomes as natural as putting on a seat belt" ROSPA
"Whiplash
can be a highly disabling long-term injury. It is important
that car occupants know what can be done to minimise the likelihood
of such an injury if involved in a crash. I hope that people
will take this advice from the ABI and partner organisations.
Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety
See
ABI
Information by clicking on links below
Tackling
Whiplash: Prevention, Care, Compensation
A
pain in the neck: three simple steps to avoid whiplash
Source:
ABI
- Association of British Insurers
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