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Dealers cure whiplash

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Time 7:35 am, November 18, 2008

dealers cure whiplash epidemicWHIPLASH claims are made by 1200 people every day. Car dealers are instrumental in helping reduce this.

The Association of British Insurers says that retailers are key to training people how to adjust head restraints correctly.

75 per cent of drivers are unaware how head restraints should be positioned. This results in over 430,000 whiplash claims per year, costing the economy early £2 billion a year in compensation.


Three quarters of motor injury personal claims through insurance are for whiplash. Which means more expensive premiums – it is adding £66 to the average motor insurance premium

Reducing this alone can lower premiums and make your cars more attractive.

‘Vehicle retailers should demonstrate, when selling a vehicle, how to correctly adjust the head restraint,’ the ABI advises.


‘Whiplash imposes unacceptable costs to individuals, businesses and the state,’ said Stephen Haddrill, ABI director general. ‘Insurers want to reduce whiplash, provide fast care and compensation and tackle fraudulent claims.’

‘But we cannot do this alone. We call on the Government, road safety groups, the medical and legal professions and other stakeholders to work with us on a campaign to reduce this problem.’

HOW TO ADVISE HEAD RESTRAINT ADJUSTMENT

• The top of the head restraint should be level with the top of the driver’s head, or no lower than eye level.
• The driver’s head should be as close as possible to the head restraint
• Increase upsales, by informing customers as to the benefits of ‘active’ head restraints
• Advise drivers get into the habit of adjusting when they get into a car, so it is as natural as putting on a seat belt

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Car Dealer has been covering the motor trade since 2008 as both a print and digital publication. In 2020 the title went fully digital and now provides daily motoring updates on this website for the car industry. A digital magazine is published once a month.



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