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.

With temperatures reaching the high twenties this week, the AA are warning motorists to be aware of their car overheating due to lack of coolant for several reasons. Firstly, there is the inconvenience of breaking down which could be very costly if motorists do not have roadside assistance cover such as Greenflag Breakdown insurance. Secondly, there is a risk in the current hot weather of stranded motorists and their passengers, which could include children, of suffering dehydration if no fluids are carried. Thirdly, the cost of repairs could easily run into four figures never mind the fact the car could be off the road for a long period of time. The estimated cost of repairs for a cooling fan is £250 and a head gasket is £1000.

This warning from the AA comes following a survey of some 14,500 members which revealed that 25% of women drivers admitted to never checking their vehicle’s coolant level. Men faired better with only 10% not checking. Geographically, Londoners appeared to be worse than any other drivers with 18% of them never checking levels. This contrasts to 24% of Welsh drivers who admitted checking their levels once a week.

The advice from the AA is to regularly check coolant levels especially if you are making a long journey. One of the issues is that many cars are used for short distance trips which don’t pose too much of a problem, however, if the vehicle is suddenly used for a long journey, any weakness in the vehicle is suddenly exposed.