Car insurance is becoming more expensive and whiplash claims are playing a major part, it has been suggested.
The increasing number of motorists making claims for whiplash is bumping up the cost of car insurance, according to the AA. It says whiplash injury claims add around £66 to every motor insurance policy, which is more than twice the cost of claims for accidents with uninsured drivers.
Contributing to a report by the Association of British Insurers (ABI), AA Insurance found that whiplash claims have increased by 25 percent over the last five years and 1,200 are now made every day in the UK.
It calculates that last year, 430,000 drivers made an insurance claim for whiplash, forcing the insurance industry to pay out a total of £1.9 billion in compensation.
Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, said: "Over the past year, the average quoted shoparound premium for a comprehensive car insurance policy increased by 8.7 percent and whiplash injury will become an increasingly important factor in future premium increases."
In its report, the ABI reveals that the UK is "the whiplash capital of Europe", with such injuries accounting for 75 percent of all motor personal injury claims. Across the rest of Europe they account for just 40 percent.
The ABI is calling on the government and road safety groups to educate drivers about how to prevent whiplash by positioning head restraints properly and making full use of car safety features.
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