Accident Risk For Young Drivers Increases by 12% In Winter Months

Accident alerts as part of policies enable telematics provider
Insurethebox to alert the emergency services to a severe crash at
the point of collision, but it has issued a warning that young
drivers need to tread carefully in winter months as bad crashes
increase.

The chance of accident increases by 12% in the Winter months,
according to an analysis of Insurethebox’s 3bn miles of driving
data, which is based on 18,000 claims from 2012 to 2016. Earlier
this month, Co-op issued a similar warning to drivers, as the
insurer’s claims data showed that historically 5 December is the
most dangerous day to be driving on UK roads.

Insurethebox sends out 10 alerts a month on average to the
emergency services for customers involved in serious crashes.
However, this rises to 14 alerts in the winter months of
November to January.

An alert is triggered when the telematics data shows a forceful
impact has occurred. If data suggests that a crash may have
happened then Insurethebox can pinpoint the exact location of a
car for the emergency services.
Insurethebox road safety manager, Simon Rewell cautioned
younger drivers, saying: “As the holidays approach, many
students will find themselves making the long journey home in
less than ideal driving conditions with the darker, shorter days
bringing reduced visibility and the risk of snow and ice.”

Rewell warned that sunny winter days can leave drivers facing a
“strong glare”. Drivers, especially new ones, need to be “mindful
of speed limits” and make sure they take frequent rest breaks of
20 minutes at least every 2.5 hours.

Rewell added: “Through the use of in-car telematics technology,
we are helping thousands of young people take control of their
driving behaviour and reducing road accidents. As the first
insurance provider to include Accident Alerts as part of its car
insurance offering, we are also able to provide support in the
event of an accident. Should the worst happen and a policy
holder is involved in an accident, we are able to contact the
emergency services directly on behalf of the customer, which
provides greater peace of mind that someone is always looking
out for them.”