Introducing new technology to cut whiplash claims

Technology which measures the level of impact in traffic accidents – and helps determine the likelihood of whiplash injuries – is already installed in thousands of vehicles insured by pay-as-you-drive telematics-based car insurers.

But now, car insurer Coverbox, which pioneered the latest generation of telematics insurance technology, has gone further and installed equipment which tracks every single movement of a vehicle.

Commenting on government plans to address the increase in fraudulent insurance claims for whiplash, Managing Director of Coverbox, Johan van de Merwe, said: “When a driver takes out an insurance policy with a telematics insurer, we install a small box which records the distance the vehicle covers, and then we charge accordingly.

"The equipment records many more parameters as well – including acceleration, deceleration and speed, and so on - which helps us determine driving standards. But telematic insurers can also use the equipment to measure the magnitude of an impact which can serve as a useful guide in distinguishing claims needing investigation from those where a high probability of whiplash exists.

“One of the reasons telematics insurance is always going to be more accurately priced – obviously to the benefit of careful drivers – is because we have precise information about driving behaviour, which allows us to be far more discerning in terms of who we insure.”