- More than one in 10 UK car crashes result in a write-off
- Estimated 258,000 write-offs annually valuing almost £2billion
- November sees greatest number of severe accidents
- Accidents decline in summer months
Nearly 12 percent of all UK crashes over the past year resulted in at least one vehicle being written-off, according to recent research by Accident Exchange.
Analysis of 40,000 collisions handled by the accident management firm indicates that across the UK the number of write-offs topped 257,000 in just 12 months – at a cost of £1,968,610,160.
November sees more insurance write-offs than any other month, with the final quarter of the year notching up 30 percent of the annual total. Summer months – May, June and July – see the fewest total losses.
The new investigation highlights a clear summer-winter divide in the frequency of serious accidents which result in at least one vehicle being written-off.
Liz Fisher, sales director at Accident Exchange, commented: “A total loss generally indicates that a serious accident has taken place, and the research shows that they are perhaps more prevalent than anyone expects. Our analysis also highlights the staggering value of vehicles written-off annually.
“There’s no doubt we can at least partly attribute the high proportion of accidents in winter months to poorer driving conditions. Wet, sometimes icy roads increase braking distances and commuters routinely drive to and from work in the dark.”
New car owners, who might be expected to be particularly careful with their vehicles, are surprisingly susceptible; more than two percent of vehicles written-off – over 5,000 – are less than 12-months old.
