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Will the winter weather lead to an increase in whiplash claims?

Compared to the winter of 2009/2010, there has been a 100% increase in the number of personal injury claims for the winter of 2010/2011, according to Newinsurance.com. In addition, the AA has reported that 70% of all personal injury claims related to road traffic accidents are as the result of adverse winter weather conditions.

Simon Douglas, the Director of AA insurance has said that the extreme winter conditions have seen: “many people struggling to work with some icy roads resembling fairground dodgems as cars collide with each other and with kerbs, lamp posts and bollards. Call volumes are at unprecedented levels and we are prioritising the most urgent cases. Thankfully, the number of personal injury claims is about 10 % lower than on normal December days despite the high volume of claims, thanks to the low speed nature of most accidents.”

Blaming the Council?

It appears that local councils are being targeted for the increase in accidents. The winter of 2009/2010 saw the newspapers trailing headlines about a lack of grit and salt with which to prepare the roads for the predicted cold snap. However, it seems that councils and the government haven’t quite learnt their lessons from last year. A recent government report has revealed that “the use of road salt has been high so far. In spite of record salt stocks and the new national strategic reserve, government and highway authorities may find it challenging to meet requirements for the rest of the winter.” As a result, the government has once again prioritised the gritting of main roads, but lesser roads and streets have become icy and dangerous.

The bottom line is that unless local and national government make adequate preparation for winter weather, there are likely to be greater numbers of whiplash claims during the winter months. Despite the AA’s comment that most of the accidents that take place during this period are at low speed, this has little bearing on the potential to sustain a whiplash injury, as the majority of whiplash injuries are sustained at low speeds. As a caveat to their statement the AA recommends that, should travel be necessary in such adverse conditions, drivers leave “at least 10 seconds’ braking time between their vehicle and the one in front, to counter the effects of icy roads.”

Placing responsibility on the motorist

The AA reports on eRentals that the most common claim is for accidents where one car runs into the back of another, usually at a road junction or roundabout. To help mitigate the risk of this happening, they recommend fitting snow tyres or snow socks, which help reduce the risk of skidding on icy roads. However, unlike European law, there is no legislation to make the fitting of these tyres mandatory during the dangerous months.

With more bad weather forecast and stocks of salt and grit already being stretched, it seems that much of the responsibility for road safety is being placed on the motorist. While this is entirely rational, human error and poor conditions can only lead to an increase in whiplash claims, unless more preventative measures are taken on a national scale.

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.

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