Driving down the road and chatting to your family is sometime many of us do, if not every day, then at some point through the week and at weekends. There are few things more natural and we rarely consider there to be any danger. When some of us were growing up, things were a little different because there were no such things as anti-lock brakes, crumple zones used to be a part of the sofa you curled up on and 3 point safety seat belts were for wimps.

Is it an Age Thing

Things have changed drastically for the better. Everyone seems to wear their seat belts now and speed limits are much lower so that many residential areas have 20mph zones. Most of us of a certain age can remember the old adverts in television where we were told to “Clunk, click every trip” before we pulled away. The adverts seemed tedious at the time, but considering the cars we were driving, we really should have been paying more attention. In fairness, we have reached a point where our roads are much safer than they used to be despite there being many more cars using them every day.

The Stats Speak Volumes

A report commissioned by the RAC Foundation nearly four years ago, showed that road traffic accidents have been falling consistently over the years. That has been largely due to the improvements in road safety among drivers, brakes, tyres and road safety measures put in place over the years. The largest drop was for serious incidents, which numbered more than 700,000 in 1972, down to under 300,000 in 2007. These stats are a little behind 2013, but there is no reason to suggest the trend would have changed in the last six years. Surprisingly, the least amount of change has been on Motorways, where the number of accidents has only dropped from 3% in 1972 to 1% of the total, although these are where the most serious of accidents still take place. At least we no longer need to worry about motorways with no central barrier to stop tired drivers veering into oncoming traffic.

The Cost of RTAs (Road Traffic Accidents)

Despite RTA numbers falling and car theft almost disappearing when compared to the figures in the late 80s and early 90s, the cost of car insurance is still rising faster than the rate of inflation year on year. Some people have blamed the claim culture that has gripped Britain. The issue is a double-edged sword because on one hand the fear of someone claiming on someone’s insurance can reduce the chance of that person making a mistake, but the cost of paying for injuries is driving insurance costs through the roof.

The risk of injuries cause by collisions is making it almost impossible for young drivers to find affordable insurance. Many young drivers shoulder the blame for the rising cost of insurance, but you are just as likely to suffer impact damage from an older driver in a car park, although the injury is going to be far less serious. Personal injury claims may be pushing policies through the roof, but the biggest problem we face is the amount of bogus claims that go through the system. Luckily, the government have cracked down on companies who use questionable tactics to secure customers for compensation claims. Some have companies have been caught red-handed trying to exploit the system and this makes it more difficult for the court to process legitimate claims for compensation. Despite the need to go to court far more often than in previous years, you should still make a claim if you suffered injury through a Road Traffic Accident.

Emily Starr is a car owner who often looks at the statistics for accidents on the road and is shocked at how many people file for motor accident compensation. Therefore, she always makes sure to drive as safely as possible.