How To Reduce Your Car Insurance Premium?

Can extra car safety features reduce your insurance premium and help prevent whiplash?

Every driver wants to reduce their car insurance premiums and build up a no claims bonus. Insurance companies often offer insurance discounts to those who have completed recognised advanced driver training, but if your car is fitted with additional safety features, can this reduce your car insurance premium further?

The simple answer is not necessarily. Most manufacturers consider car safety equipment such as anti-lock brakes, traction control, automatic seatbelt warnings and airbags to be additional extras. As a result, many insurance companies will only consider safety technology when a car is launched and then only those systems which come as standard and cannot be switched off. Some systems, particularly traction control, can be turned on and off by the driver depending on their driving style and the road conditions at the time. Therefore these do not technically count as ‘safety features’ but as ‘optional extras’.

The insurers also look at the safety performance of models, taking into account their ENCAP rating and their charted performance over an extended period of production and use. If a particular model is shown to be less likely to be involved in an accident over a period of time, the insurance premium is then adjusted regardless of any additional safety features the car may have as standard.

However, some manufacturers are producing standard safety features that are having an impact on their insurance rating. One major manufacturer has developed a ‘City Safety’ system, which can detect possible collisions at low speed and prepare the brakes. If the driver doesn’t take action to avoid a collision, the system takes over and brakes the car automatically. It is hoped that ‘intelligent’ systems such as this will reduce the number of rear end collisions, which are often the cause of whiplash injuries.

Whiplash claims account for nearly £2billion of payouts by insurance companies in the UK annually, and 75% of motor personal injury claims are made as a result of whiplash injuries, usually at very low impact speeds. The Association of British Insurers estimate that there are 1,200 claims a day for whiplash injuries, six times the number of workplace related injury claims.

Further research into the causes and definitions of whiplash injuries are also being carried out by Thatcham, who have developed the WITkit. The WITkit is a computerised program that gives insurers detailed information of the likelihood of whiplash injuries by analysing the results of impact tests of different cars and car seats at low speeds. By analysing this data, manufacturers will be able to incorporate new safety features as standard into their latest models, including redesigning seats and head restraints. As these alterations will come as 'standard' and are not something that can be controlled by the driver, this may help to reduce car insurance premiums in the long run.

The onus still remains on the driver. No matter how many safety features a car may have, the driver is ultimately responsible for the car and its use on the road. Better driving skills result in a reduced likelihood of becoming involved in an accident and this is why insurers have traditionally focused on this aspect to determine insurance premiums. Consequently, more experienced drivers have lower insurance premiums than younger, inexperienced drivers do and this doesn't look like changing any time soon. But as technology advances drivers may see their premiums reduce in the future as manufacturers incorporate more safety features as standard on their cars.

You Need To Know More Vital Information About Whiplash?

For more vital information that you really should know please download our free Essential Guide To Whiplash. It will tell you:

What "No Win No Fee" really means and how to ensure you do not get caught out
Whether a Claims Company or a Solicitor is the right choice for you
What does it mean if you have Legal Expense Insurance (and do you have to use the solicitor that they tell you too if you do not want to)?
How to obtain private treatment for your injuries at no cost to you
How to quickly obtain a replacement car or motorcycle if you need to
Why accepting an offer directly from the other driver's insurance company could cost you thousands of pounds and lead to longterm injury problems

There is no cost so please complete your details below now and we will immediately send you the guide.

Share This Article With:

Can 1stClaims Help You?

At 1stClaims we want to ensure that you are happy with the solicitor we choose for you, which is why we are so careful to ensure we choose only experts. Our solicitors put you first every time and with our free enquiry, it costs nothing to ask. Of course, you will also receive all of your compensation and, unlike most other claims companies, because we are run by a former personal injury solicitor and believe in doing things the right and ethical way, we do not charge you for our service.

If you would like 1stClaims' expert Whiplash Solicitors on your side please call us free on 0800 2888 693 or complete our Free Claim Enquiry form now and we will be in touch with you very soon.

Remember, it costs nothing to ask and you receive 100% of your compensation.

We are here to help you from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday,
8.30am to 6pm on Saturday and 9am to 6pm on Sundays.

Claim Now

Start your FREE claim for compensation by using our online claim form.

Remember we charge no fees and you receive 100% of your compensation.

What Is A Whiplash Injury?

0800 2888 693 or;

Guide To Choosing A Whiplash Solicitor

0800 2888 693 or;

Why Choose Us for Your Whiplash/Road Claim?

You keep 100% of your compensation
You pay nothing whether you win or lose your claim
Your solicitor is chosen by one of our directors who was a personal injury solicitor for 14 years. This ensures you are put in touch with the best solicitors to ensure you receive a 1stClass service from 1stClaims!
All 1stClaims solicitors are monitored by client feedback to ensure a quality service is maintained for your benefit

What Our Clients Say

“They don't seem (another claims company) as efficient or helpful as 1stClaims seem to be. I have been impressed with your service and I am grateful for your help. Thanks for your patience!” - Mr Pittam

UK Wide Coverage

We have expert solicitors across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland waiting to help
you now.

Ask A Whiplash Question?

If you have any questions about making a claim at all, please complete our question form and we will send an answer straight back to you (no charge, no obligation)

ASK A QUESTION NOW