According to research from Britannia Rescue a staggering five million British Drivers are currently driving unsafe vehicles. To put this into perspective, this is around one quarter of all motorists. One possible explanation for this is the theory that motorists are holding onto older vehicles longer in order to benefit from the Governments scrappage scheme. In addition, 1 in 5 of the drivers surveyed is actually aware of the state of their vehicles.

Britannia Rescue who owned by LV car insurance have identified that worn tyres, defective car breaks, faulty exhausts, broken wing mirrors and front and rear lights are the most common issues. The reasons given for not repairing vehicles includes affordability or unable to spare the time to arrange repairs.

Unfortunately motorists do not realise that they are potentially invalidating their car insurance as it is condition that vehicles must be maintained. There are also strict laws governing the state of repairs and driving a faulty vehicle can result in 3 points added to a driving license in addition to a fine if caught.

The most alarming statistic of all is the fact that damaged cars were responsible for 1 in 30 fatal motoring crashes in 2008 and 2,500 accidents.

The AA

The results of a survey of over 21,000 AA members in early August has revealed that roadside distractions are responsible for a worryingly high number of accident claims submitted by UK motorists. Five years ago it was revealed that two thirds of men and yet only 10% of women admitted to being distracted by an attractive person either in another car or walking along the road. In 2009 however, the figures for women have more than doubled to 25%, whereas the figure for men shows a modest rise to 70%.

Other roadside distractions claimed to have caused problems for drivers involved in this survey reveal the Angel of the North sculpture, low flying aircraft passing over, billboard advertising, wind turbines and roadside art such as decorative horticultural arrangements on roundabouts.

According to the AA an increase in rear end car accidents during the summer months is largely attributable to roadside distractions, although this is not a reason readily admitted by policyholders making such claims. What is not stated in the survey is that there are more cars on the road than there were 5 years ago contributing to increased traffic congestion and therefore the likelihood of an increased number of roadside distractions.

According to Admiral Insurance and data it has collated from industry bodies such as the Association of British Insurers and Association of British Accidents, car incidents that occur where one vehicle collides into the back of another vehicle are on the rise, compared to falls in the frequency of claims submitted for other types of road traffic accidents.

In addition to the financial cost of this, which Admiral estimates to be around half a billion pounds, there is potential misery for drivers suffering severe whiplash injuries incurred in such accidents, and the possibility of long drawn out personal injury claims. What is staggering is that whiplash claims account for three quarters of all personal injury claims and are costing car insurance companies around £1.9 billion a year.

Admiral, along with their insurance industry counterparts, cite poor driving as being a principle cause in the rise of rear-end collisions. Almost everyone who drives today will see a fellow motorist driving too close to the car in front of them, therefore not leaving enough distance to stop in an emergency. Another factor is a worrying rise in aggressive driving which frequently occurs in built up congested traffic areas.

Distractions such as mobile phones and other hand held devices are believed to contribute to a lapse in concentration that often results in rear-end collisions, despite the law being toughened in recent years on their illegal use whilst driving. And with regards to an issue we have touched on before on this blog, there have been significant increases in staged rear-end accidents whereby fraudulent motorists deliberately set out to cause accidents in order to make false claims for personal injury.

Following the recent adverse weather to hit the UK, the latest menace to hit motorists and cyclists is the large number of potholes which have suddenly appeared.

Not only do potholes cause damage to car tyres, supensions and car parts, some cause accidents which could lead to injury, therefore, motorists are being warned to take special care when driving until local councils get round to filling these in.

In addition, there is expected to be an increase in the number of car insurance claims resulting from incidents caused from potholes, therefore, this may lead to further premium rises in the future as Insurers count the cost.

If you spot potholes and are wondering who to report these to, there is website called Fillthathole.org who will gladly receive your report and notify the right people to ensure the roads get repaired.