The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has urged car retailers to help reduce the number of whiplash injuries sustained during car collisions by demonstrating how to adjust the head restraint when selling a vehicle.
Research by the ABI has found that each day almost 1,200 people claim for whiplash following a motor collision.
This figure has rocketed by a quarter in the last five years, and is six times the number of workplace injury claims made each year.
It is an expensive business – treating whiplash injuries now costs the NHS approximately £8 million a year in consultation fees.
Stephen Haddrill, the ABI’s director general, said: "Insurers want to reduce whiplash, provide fast care and compensation and tackle fraudulent claims. But we cannot do this alone."
Mr Haddrill is calling on the government, road safety groups, the medical and legal professions and other "stakeholders" to work with the ABI on a campaign to reduce the problem.
Proposals include better education emphasising the importance of safe following distances and clearer guidance on how to effectively diagnose and treat whiplash.
Written by Roxy Moran
