Drivers "must take more responsibility"

Posted :15-11-2004

A new report has revealed that 60 per cent of cars have inadequate protection from whiplash.

In what could be bad news for insurance premiums, Thatcham motor research centre found that out of 114 vehicle types tested only 18 were rated "good" and 27 "acceptable".

However the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has hit back at the findings and claims that motorists need to take more responsibility for their own safety.

According to the SMMT, most whiplash injuries are the result of drivers failing to use their head restraints properly, suggesting that insurance firms should not pay too much attention to the Thatcham findings.

Whiplash the most common form of injury resulting from car accidents and puts around £1 billion on insurance premiums per year, according to Matthew Avery of Thatcham.

Speaking on BBC Radio Five Live's 'Breakfast', Nigel Wonnacott from SMMT pointed out that the motor industry has spent millions on improving the design of the car seat and instead claimed it is usually the driver's fault for failing to use the head restraint correctly.
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