A Guide on the Factors that are Connected with Road Accidents
What is a Road Traffic Accident? (RTA)
A road traffic accident is an event during which a vehicle either heads off from the road and will either end up in a ditch, or a collision with anything that can cause damage to the vehicle, including other vehicle's, telephone poles, buildings, and trees, humans or animals. Road traffic accidents (RTAs) can also be referred to as car accidents, traffic collisions, auto accidents, road accidents, personal injury collisions, motor vehicle accidents, and crashes. An estimated 1.2 million people worldwide each year are killed in some form of an RTA, and those that are injured is approximately forty times this number
Causes of Road Traffic Accidents
Environmental Factors
Rain
Rain can effect a driver's perception and produces visibility changes through its contact on headlamps, windshields, the road itself and road markings.
The rain can also affect the driver's vision visibility through the windshield. The windshield wipers are never 100% effective, the splashing of the rain and the windshield wipers block vision and objects on the road. Wipers can also leave a smear on the windscreen and only clear 2/3 of the windshield from rain. When rain is combined with dirty water or slush thrown up from the road by other drivers, windshields can quickly become dirty.
Water reduces the reflectivity of most materials. Less light falling on the object is reflected back, so the objects appear darker and have lower contrast. Pedestrians in dark clothes would become even darker and could be more difficult to see.
Sun
The sun can be a very dangerous factor for drivers as it can produce a glare by reflecting off the road and into the driver's direct field of vision, making the driver temporally blind. The sun can reflect off the drivers or other vehicles windscreen and other reflective surfaces can decrease the driver's ability to view traffic lights, signs and other road traffic.
Fog
Fog is a thin layer of cloud that can appear suddenly at any time of the day, year and in any part of the country and it can pose as the most dangerous factor on the roads. Visibility is seriously reduced by fog which increases the risk of a crash, particularly in winter season as it is a regular occurrence and death toll on the roads generally increases during this time. When the weather is foggy, the safest thing to do is to not to drive. Unfortunately many drivers come across fog during their travels; in this case the safest things for them to do are tomove off the road to the hard shoulder and wait for it to lift. Stopping on the road increases the chances of being hit because others have no way of seeing, or avoiding, until it is too late.
Ice
Black ice is ice which forms on a roadway, usually due to snow melting and re-freezing. Since it is almost invisible, drivers fail to recognize black ice conditions and may drive at normal speeds-often resulting in very serious accidents. The possibility of black ice increases when temperatures are near or below freezing and can normally be spotted on pavements that looks dry but appears darker in colour and dull-looking.
During slippery conditions stopping distances can triple and failing to have enough time to stop is a major cause of winter driving accidents as many people tend to keep the normal distance between their car and the one in front of them, generally speaking as the stopping distances triples then the general safety distance between each car should also triple. Strong or sudden cross-winds can make it difficult for drivers to stay in their lane. Following a snowfall, sometimes snow will be blown across a roadway, obscuring the road surface including possible patches of ice
Driving in the Dark
Millions of British drivers admit that they find driving more difficult in the dark as it is harder to see clearly when driving after dark and it's a fact that more road accidents occur at night than during the day. Common night driving problems include blurred vision, difficulty focusing and prevention from seeing.
Human Errors
It has been shown that human error is the sole cause of 57% in road accidents and as 90% in a contributing factor.
Being Tired
Driver fatigue may be a factor in up to 30% of fatal crashes and up to 15% of serious injury crashes. Being tired while driving does not just concern anyone driving a long distance, it can affect shift-workers, parents/carers of young children who haven't had much sleep and also those with sleep problems. It is as much a problem for city as country. Being tired can effect how a driver can control their vehicle correctly and decrease their ability to estimated and judge potential traffic hazards.
* An estimated 300 people a year are killed where a driver has fallen asleep at the wheel.
* The greatest risk of falling asleep at the wheel is between midnight to 6am and 2-4pm.
* Alcohol, drugs and medication can make you more tired without the driver's knowledge.
Ways of avoiding falling asleep at the wheel include:
* To plan a 15 minute break every two hours within every car journey.
* To have a good nights sleep before setting off on a long journey.
* Share driving responsibilities is possible.
* To pull over in a safe place if starting to fell tired.
* Opening the windows or putting on the radio doesn't help prevent falling asleep at the wheel.
Drink Driving
Alcohol can seriously impair a driver's judgment, coordination and reactions. It can be a hazard to the driver, the passengers, other road users and pedestrians, which is why drink driving is such a serious offence. Alcohol weakens a driver's ability to drive efficiently, many increase their speed while turning corners, over taking and the driving becomes more exaggerated.
Every week in the UK, 10 people will die as a result of drink-driving. Young men in their 20s are four times more likely to be involved in drink-drive accidents than other age groups. On average, 3,000 people are killed or seriously injured each year as a result of drink-driving. Drinking and driving occurs particularly among young men aged 17-29 in terms of being a casualty and testing positive for alcohol. In 2004, in the 17-24 age groups, 6% of drivers failed a breath test, compared to an average of 4.4% for all ages.
The limits
Alcohol in the body can be measured in the breath, blood or urine. A driver will be found guilty of drink-driving if he or she has more than:
* 35 microgramme's of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath;
* 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood;
* 107 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of urine.
Drivers found to exceed the limits detailed above are automatically given a minimum one-year disqualification and could also be liable to paying a fine of up to £5,000 and/or up to six months imprisonment.
Age of Driver
Young drivers are far more likely to be involved in serious road accidents than other motorists: 17-20 year old male drivers are almost ten times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than more experienced drivers and, on average, one young person aged 16-19 dies each day on UK roads traveling as either a driver or a passenger. A young person's accidents is normally due to them having a lack of vehicle-handling skills, their lack of driving experience; many young drivers have a poor appreciation of road conditions and the driving behaviour of ...
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Age of Driver
Young drivers are far more likely to be involved in serious road accidents than other motorists: 17-20 year old male drivers are almost ten times more likely to be killed or seriously injured than more experienced drivers and, on average, one young person aged 16-19 dies each day on UK roads traveling as either a driver or a passenger. A young person's accidents is normally due to them having a lack of vehicle-handling skills, their lack of driving experience; many young drivers have a poor appreciation of road conditions and the driving behaviour of others, and are unable to adapt their driving style where necessary.
Elderly people have an increased number of fatal crashes than any other group except young people. Alzheimer's disease, the effects of medication, mobility problems and impaired eyesight are among the factors that can erode driving skills. What teens and elderly drivers have in common is that most of their age groups don't pay as much attention as they should behind the wheel.
Distractions inside the Car
Many distractions within a car are under the control of the driver, and the driver should attempt to minimize any such distractions. Examples include:
Children - Kids can be very distracting to drivers, particularly when they are bored, upset, or surprised, Children can also suddenly yell inappropriate things, like "Stop!", without understanding how such declarations can affect the driver of a car.
Dropped Items - Drivers should avoid trying to pick up items dropped to the floor of a car while the car is in motion. If a dropped object may become lodged in the pedals, the driver should exercise appropriate care to prevent that from happening, if necessary pulling over and stopping in order to recover the object.
Eating - The act of eating can be distracting, as can the consequence of dropping food. Ideally, drivers will eat before they drive or during a break from driving.
Reading - Books, maps, directions, and other written materials are best read when a car is at a full stop.
Use of the Radio or CD player - Drivers should not let themselves be distracted by adjusting a radio or changing CD's while driving.
Construction Design and Use of Vehicle
Equipment Failure
Manufacturers are required by law to design and engineer cars that meet a minimum safety standard, and many vehicles have been produced as safe vehicles that are easy and safe to drive, but there are still many issues with the vehicles design and equipment that can cause a RTA. The most popular forms of equipment failure are loss of brakes, tire blowouts, and steering/suspension failure. Combined totals for all reported equipment failure accounts for less than 5% of all motor vehicle accidents.
Brake failure can be a significant factor in causing an accident, as an unexpected brake failure may leave a driver unable to slow or stop in order to maintain control of a vehicle, or to avoid a collision. Tire blowouts from old, worn, or improperly patched tires can result in an accident. Sometimes drivers will make after-market modifications to their cars, without regard for the laws or vehicle safety regulations. Sometimes the modifications will diminish the safety of their vehicle, will impede their ability to properly observe the roadway, or will increase the danger to others as a result of collision.
Road Design
A poorly designed roadway, intersection, or means of controlling traffic can at times cause or contribute to an accident. New road surfaces may provide poorer skid resistance then older road surfaces. Poorly placed and poorly designed road signs or barriers can cause unnecessary injury when vehicles collide with them or they can obstruct the driver's line of sight. Insufficient road drainage can lead to floods, particularly in countryside roads.
When roads curve, the outside edge of the curve is often raised such that the road is at an angle. This banking of the roadway takes the speed of traffic into consideration, and makes it easier for vehicles to manage the curve, and makes it less likely that a vehicle will go off the roadway at a curve. When the banking is either insufficient or excessive, danger to motorists can increase.
Common Injuries
Both minor and major accidents can cause some form of an injury to either the driver or to any passengers. The most common form of injury sustained in a road traffic accident is whiplash, this injury usually effects the ligaments, spinal joints and soft tissues in the neck and is commonly caused by a violent movement of the head in relation to a sudden, forcible backwards or forwards bending of the neck and can occur with a rapid deceleration of the vehicle involved. In most cases there is the likelihood for a complete recovery and the Judicial Studies Board Guidelines suggest £2,500 to £4,250 awards can be paid out to those whose full recovery takes place over two years and £750 to £2,500 to those whose full recovery takes place in less than a year.
Another common injury from RTA's is back injury. Back injuries can vary from bruising through ligament tears and muscle ruptures, often through indirect impacts such as seat belt injuries, to full-blown fractures and, in the most serious cases, paralysis. Few back injuries of the most severe kind which do not give rise to paralysis produce awards above £25,000 unless they have particularly unusual features.
Brain damage is a rare injury but a serious one that needs to be considered as a potential series of events beginning with the first injury and leading possibly to a second and third stage depending on the circumstances. This can be quite common in road accidents and likely to be made worse through, for example, failure to wear a seat belt. A crush injury occurs where the head becomes trapped between hard objects. This does not happen very often and the person injured may retain consciousness.
The Judicial Studies Board figures indicate that for very severe brain damage but where an injured person has some degree of insight and some ability to follow basic commands can attract awards of £155,000 to £220,000.
Seat Belts
Wearing a seat belt has helped save over 2,000 lives every year, three-point lap and shoulder safety belts are the best means of occupant protection in almost all types of crash. Wearing a safety belt can halve the risk of being injured or killed in a crash.
Safety belts offer protection in three key ways:
* They prevent or minimise the 'second impact' in a crash - the impact of the occupants against the vehicle interior and each other. It is this second impact that causes injuries and fatalities.
* They stop the wearer from being thrown from the vehicle.
* They help absorb the wearer's inertial energy, allowing the wearer to slow at a rate similar to the occupant compartment.
In a 50 km/h crash, an average-sized occupant not wearing a safety belt would hit the vehicle interior with a force of three and a half tonnes. It is preferable that three-point lap and shoulder safety belts are installed in every seating position in a vehicle, although this is not always possible in the centre rear seat of some cars. While two-point lap safety belts are much better than wearing no restraint, they do not provide the same protection as three-point safety belts.
Safety belts should fit the wearer's body without any looseness. The safety belt retractor usually makes this adjustment for the wearer and locks the safety belt in place if there is sudden movement. Adjustable safety belt anchorages allow the shoulder sash to be moved higher or lower so that the safety belt can be worn more comfortably and safely. Although safety belts cannot stop forward movement completely, new technology designed as part of the vehicle's frontal impact protection system can further improve their effectiveness at restraining occupants.
* Webbing clamps grab the safety belt webbing to prevent more of the safety belt reeling out as it tightens on the spool in a crash.
* Pretensioners use a spring, compressed gas or small explosive charge that activates on impact to pull the safety belt tight before the occupant starts to move.
* Unloaders allow the safety belt to slacken in a controlled way so the wearer can slow progressively while still being safely restrained.
An individual safety belt by them does not necessarily make a vehicle safer. Safety belt design and technology has to be integrated into a vehicle's overall occupant protection system to be effective.
The correct way to wear The Incorrect ways of wearing a seat belt
a seat belt
Air Bags
Although seat belts have been proven to help reduce RTA casualties, there is still an issue in frontal collisions where car occupants are still being injured by being thrown onto hard surfaces of the interior of the car such as the steering wheel and the dashboard. Air bags where introduced in 1998 to help prevent these injuries to be used as an addition to seat belts.
Air bags work by inflating rapidly to provide a cushioning surface to the occupants of the vehicles to prevent the level of contact with the steering wheel or dashboard, the airbag then immediately deflates. Air bags need to inflate at a fast rate to ensure that they are fully inflated by the time a persons body begins to move in reaction to the collision, depending on the size on the air bag will depend on how long it needs to inflate, the larger the air bag the longer it needs to inflates. European air bags can hold up to 35 litres of gas propellant and can fully inflate in 25 milliseconds, which means they can expand up to 160mph.
The area of a space within the car that is taken up by the airbag as it inflates is known as the 'airbag deployment zone'. Sensors within the vehicle monitor the direction and severity of an impact and release the airbag if the severity and direction permits it. Normally for an air bag to be released then the impact should be greater than 20mph and in a frontal direction, rear end collisions should not be enough to release an air bag. There are three components to an air bag:
* The bag itself is made of a thin, nylon fabric, which is folded into the steering wheel or dashboard or, more recently, the seat or door.
* The sensor is the device that tells the bag to inflate. Inflation happens when there is a collision force equal to running into a brick wall at 10 to 15 miles per hour. A mechanical switch is flipped when there is a mass shift that closes an electrical contact, telling the sensors that a crash has occurred. The sensors receive information from an accelerometer built into a microchip.
* The air bag's inflation system reacts sodium azide (NaN3) with potassium nitrate (KNO3) to produce nitrogen gas. Hot blasts of the nitrogen inflate the air bag.
Since model year 1998, all new cars have been required to have air bags on both driver and passenger sides. To date, statistics show that air bags reduce the risk of dying in a direct frontal crash by about 30 percent.
Things to be aware of with Airbags
* Seat belts should always be worn properly along side with using an air bag.
* Rearward-facing child seats must not be placed on the front passenger seat if a passenger air bag is fitted, it should be at least switched off.
* A forward facing child seat should only be used in the front seat if it can be positioned so the child is out of the deployment zone area.
* The driver's seat should be positioned as far back as possible while ensuring that the driver can safely and comfortably operate all of the vehicles controls, and they should always use the ten-to-two hand position on the wheel while driving. If the airbag is released while the driver's arms are across the wheel the impact could cause a break in the arm.
* Airbags should be replaced if they are deployed and many manufacturers will replace unused airbags after 10 years.
* As the airbag is released the gas it generates is hot and therefore makes the surface of the airbag also hot, so passengers and drivers could suffer from burns.
Speed
National Speed Limit Sign for 40 speed limits Sign for 30 speed limits
Driving too fast was the main cause of 1,200 deaths and more than 20,000 serious injuries on built up roads in the UK last year. Statistics show the main cause of road crashes is the combination of inappropriate or excessive speed with some form of human error. Government research shows:
* Approximately 1 in 3 deaths is speed related.
* 7 out of 10 drivers regularly break the speed limit - usually by about 5mph.
* If you hit a cyclist or pedestrian at 35mph the force of the impact increases by more than a third than at 30mph.
* On urban roads 76 per cent of cars will exceed the speed limit if the road is clear.
* It is not safer to drive faster at night. Casualty rates are double that during daylight hours due to the higher speeds because of less traffic, higher alcohol consumption, tiredness and darkness.
Excessive Speed
This is exceeding the posted speed limit, to do so is a criminal offence and, if detected, is likely to result in a fine and penalty points will be place on the drivers licence. In the majority of cases this will be a fixed penalty resulting in a standard fine and licence endorsement, but in more serious cases may result in being taken to court. It is intuitive to believe that, the faster a vehicle goes, the greater is the risk of it being involved in a collision. Research (TRL 1998 and 1999) has shown that if an individual drives at more than 10-15% above the average speed of the traffic around them, they are much more likely to be involved in a collision.
Inappropriate Speed
This is someone driving within the speed limit but too fast for the road and traffic conditions. It is about judgement, and is extremely important. Urban roads will be subject most often to a 30mph speed limit. These will be high streets with shoppers looking to cross the road at various points, parked vehicles around which pedestrians might suddenly appear, delivery vans, cyclists and buses where people might risk crossing the road where perhaps they should not. They might also be in the surrounding area of schools, hospitals and where the elderly may be present. These roads require drivers to take account of all these various factors and drive at appropriate speeds.
The National Speed Limit
The national speed limit is indicated by a round sign showing a white background with a diagonal black stripe across it. For the majority of vehicles it means 60mph on single carriageway roads and 70mph on dual carriageway roads. This speed limit works on the same principle as the 30mph speed limit in that it is not signed apart from where the speed limit starts. It is predominately used along the rural road network. Where there are no streetlights and no signs to the contrary, the national speed limit is in force. The speed limit on a motorway is 70mph unless otherwise indicated.
The most common form of enforcement for speeding offences is safety cameras. The purpose of cameras is to deter speeding at sites where speed related accidents have occurred, not to catch drivers speeding.
The police are responsible for enforcing the speed limit and may use any Home Office approved equipment. Apart from traditional fixed speed camera housings, the two most common ways to enforce speed limits are:
a) In-car speed measuring systems operated by a police officer, which measure the average speed of a suspected speeding vehicle over a given distance.
b) Handheld speed measuring equipment where a police officer measures the speed of passing vehicles with a 'radar gun'.
Built up area
Single carriageways
Dual carriageways
Motorways
Type of vehicle
MPH
MPH
MPH
MPH
Cars and motorcycles
30
60
70
70
Cars towing caravans or trailers
(including car derived vans
and motorcycles)
30
50
60
60
Buses and coaches
(not exceeding 12 metres
in overall length)
30
50
60
70
Goods vehicles
(not exceeding 7.5 tonnes
maximum laden weight)
30
50
60
70
Goods vehicles
(exceeding 7.5 tonnes
maximum laden weight)
30
40
50
60
TABLE SHOWING THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPEED LIMITS ON THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ROADS
Stopping Distances
Stopping distance is affected by a number of factors, including load, condition of the road surface, tyres, brakes, driver reactions and design and type of vehicle. The minimum distance in which a vehicle can be brought to rest in an emergency is from the moment that the driver notices danger ahead. Stopping distances of vehicles can be estimated by using the formula:
Stopping distance = thinking distance + braking distance
The thinking distance is the time taken for the driver to react by applying the brakes of the vehicle. This is known as the reaction time, and is about 0.1-0.3 seconds. As a general rule the breaking distance becomes four times greater as the speed of the car is doubled.
Pedestrians
Pedestrians have a great ability to prevent being struck by cars, as it is very rare for collisions to occur outside of the roadway. When pedestrians exercise due caution before entering a road, the chances of being struck by a car are very low. The chances of accident go up significantly in the following contexts:
Ignoring Traffic Controls - Although many are imperfect, pedestrian traffic controls tend to be timed such that when the signal switches from "walk" to " don't walk", a pedestrian no longer has time to safely cross the roadway. At such a time, pedestrians in the road should continue to cross, but pedestrians on the corner should wait for the next light, although many try to chance it and walk across especially if there are no cars waiting at the lights but this could cause a problem for oncoming traffic not allowing them to have enough time to stop or slow down.
When pedestrians choose to cross the street in inappropriate or unexpected locations, they put themselves at greater risk of injury. It is best to cross in a designated crosswalk or at an intersection.
The "Darting" Child - Children sometimes "dart" into the roadway with little regard for traffic, often in pursuit of a pet, toy, or another child. Motorists should take particular care when they see children at play in a neighborhood, or when they pass a park, school, or other area which is posted as having children present.
The Parent In Pursuit - When children run into a roadway, their parent's first thought may be to rescue the child, and they may run into the road in complete disregard of oncoming traffic.
Driver Error
Common driver errors or driving misconduct which contributes to car-pedestrian accidents include:
Disregarding a Crosswalk - Drivers, who don't pay attention to crosswalks, create a significant risk of accident. Drivers should exercise appropriate care that pedestrians are not crossing the road before passing through a designated crosswalk.
Disregarding a Traffic Control Device - When drivers ignore traffic controls, particularly those which specifically relate to pedestrian traffic, they significantly increase the chances of an accident.
Disregarding a Pedestrian Already Crossing the Roadway - When a pedestrian in the roadway ahead of a car is obviously crossing the road, or has entered the driver's lane while in the process of crossing the road, drivers should exercise appropriate caution and should yield as necessary to avoid accident.
Driving While Intoxicated - Drunk drivers pose a high risk of injury to pedestrians, and there are many notorious cases where drunk drivers have caused accidents, striking pedestrians on sidewalks.
Potential for Serious Injury - When a pedestrian is struck by several thousand pounds of metal and glass, even a low-speed collision carries a high potential for serious or catastrophic injury, or even death
Costs
Repair Costs
The repair costs from any accident can be high but many of these costs can be covered by the drivers insurance depending on who is liable for the accident and the type of insurance policy the driver has. The downfall is that for many drivers claiming the repair costs for "little" accidents can increase their insurance costs and take away their no claims bonus and therefore they tend to take it to a garage and pay for the costs themselves. Many drivers don't find this a problem but some garages can take advantage of certain drivers, mainly females, and charge extra or make up other problems with the car, and some may even not do the job properly hoping that the driver will return to make more money out of them
Family Costs
After someone has been involved in a car accident it can be emotionally costly to them and their family members. If the family member who survives a collision there can be a long road to full recovery and this can be very distressing to that person and to their family members especially if it is a bread earner of the household as those left at the house may have difficulty paying the bills and affording the essentials such as food. It can also be difficult if it is a parent that has been involved in the accident as it can be very hard for the children to be away from a parent especially if they are young children.
Many of these factors can also take place if a family member dies but there is also the factor of paying out for a funeral, and finding care for the children as the parent left will have to get a job to pay for the missing money.
Insurance Policies
Motor insurance is necessary to protect motorists against any liability from the possibility that may have caused an accident, and depending on what type of policy the driver obtains the insurance will also cover their own vehicle. There are three different types of insurance policies that a motorist can choose from, there is;
* Fully Comprehensive Motor Insurance which usually covers,
* Liability for injuries to other people, including passengers
* Liability for damages to other people's property
* Liability of passengers for accidents caused by them
* Liability arising from the use of a caravan or trailer, while attached to the car.
* Fire damage and/or theft
* Accidental damage to your own car
* A personal accident benefit --- certain insurance providers will pay out certain amounts in the event of the death or specific permanent disablement of the policy holder.
* Medical expenses up to a certain limit
* Loss of or damage to personal effects in the car, up to a stated limit.
* Third Party Insurance which usually covers,
* Liability for injuries to other people, including passengers
* Liability for damages to other people's property
* Liability of passengers for accidents caused by them
* Liability arising from the use of a caravan or trailer, while attached to the car.
* Third Party Fire and Theft Insurance which generally give the same cover as Third Party insurance but also gives the added protection to cover losses in the even of fire or theft of the vehicle
The Road Traffic Act requires all motorists to be insured against their liability for any injuries to others and any damages to other people's property resulting from using their vehicle on a road or other public places
A motorist's insurance premium will be determined by a number of different factors relating to them, their car, and how they drive it!
. Policy Type: A comprehensive insurance policy is the most expensive but will provide the driver with compete cover on their car.
2. Age: The younger driver is the more inexperienced they are considered to be by the insurance companies and consequently the higher the premium will be.
3. Group Rating: If the motorist's car is a Ferrari it will be fast and catch everyone's eye. For this reason it is considered high risk and will therefore cost more to insure.
4. Modifications: If modifications are made to a car with additional mechanical or bodywork features it will increase the insurance premium.
5. Car's Stationary Location: A garaged car, or one kept on a driveway will result in significantly lower insurance premiums.
6. No Claims Bonus: If a driver is claim free after their first year of driving they will earn a no claims discount, awarded to them as a safe car driver. The more years they can accumulate the more reward they will receive, usually up to a 5 year maximum.
7. Location: If the driver lives in the country they are far more unlikely to be a victim of crime compared to a city dweller. For this reason, those who live in a city will pay higher insurance premiums.
8. Occupation: Workers who spend time on the road travelling from one location to another will be affected by higher car insurance premiums. This is not to say the quality of driving is worse, in fact it should be better. It is the fact that they spend more hours on the road than most other users, which makes it statistically more likely that they will be involved in an accident.
9. Security: If the driver has an immobiliser, alarm, steering lock, and detachable stereo then this will result in a significantly lower insurance premium, particularly in areas that have higher crime rates such as cities.
0. The Insurer: Some companies and brokers may seem to offer a lower insurance premium and there could be certain reasons for this that may not be helpful to the driver. For example, some companies will load the excess payable in the event of an insurance claim to £250 or more, the driver may have a reduced total amount payable for items such as stereo equipment, or will not receive a courtesy car if their car is involved in an accident.
1. Policy additions: If there are a number of people named on an insurance policy then the driver is also covering their risk as well. To reduce the driver's premium they can restrict the number of people on their policy.
Uninsured Drivers
Many drivers assume that the main point of motor insurance is to protect them over the value of their investments made into their vehicle if they have an accident, but the truth is motor insurance is needed due to the harm that drivers can to do others.
The UK has one of the highest levels of uninsured driving in Europe, with more than one million uninsured drivers on our roads. Last year the Motor Insurers' Bureau (MIB) handled more than 41,000 claims from victims of road accidents caused by untraced and uninsured drivers.
Uninsured driving now costs Britain more than £500 million per year and adds around £30 to the insurance premium of honest motorists as it is them that pay this, due to the constant rising of claims
BTEC National Diploma Traffic Accident Investigation Rebecca-Louise Wood
Assignment One South Downs College 1
