Press Release

22 February 10

Motorists flouting risks in winter weather

• • A third (33%) of drivers do not bother to check the weather forecast before setting off
  • More than a quarter (27%) drive with windscreens not cleared of frost or mist
  • An estimated 800,000 claim to have had an accident after ignoring advice not to drive unless absolutely necessary⁽¹⁾
  • Sainsbury’s Car Insurance issues new warning to drivers not to leave their cars unattended whilst warming up the engine
•  

Despite the onset of Spring being just around the corner, the MET Office is still issuing ice related weather warnings and predicting further periods of snow across much of the country⁽²⁾ .  Sainsbury's Car Insurance warns a blasé approach to winter driving could see motorists putting themselves and other road users at risk.

Research⁽¹⁾ for the bank suggests that UK motorists have been failing to take necessary precautions, with a third of motorists (33 per cent), equivalent to almost 11.4 million motorists, failing to check a weather forecast before setting off in wintry conditions and more than a quarter (27 per cent), around 9.5 million, not even bothering to fully clear their front and rear windscreens before setting off.

During previous periods of snowfall Sainsbury’s Car Insurance has recorded year-on-year spikes in insurance claims of up to 45 per cent⁽³⁾ .  The bank warns that despite signs that winter is coming to an end, there are still spells of wintry weather to watch out for and that motorists shouldn't become complacent.

Sainsbury’s Car Insurance is also reminding people to still be on their guard against ‘frosting’ car crime, where opportunist thieves take advantage of drivers who leave their cars unattended whilst warming up the engine.  An estimated 15,000 households could fall victim to ‘frosting’ this year according to the bank’s research⁽⁴⁾ .

Ben Tyte, Sainsbury’s Car Insurance Manager, said: “UK motorists have a typically stoic approach to driving in wintry conditions, and if they start to become complacent and think the worst weather is behind them, they could increase their chances of having an accident in the coming days and weeks. Drivers should continue to take basic steps to ensure their own safety and that of other road users, especially while wintry conditions persist.

“They should also be alert to the risks of leaving their engines running whilst unattended.  If their car was stolen with the keys in the ignition they would most likely not be covered by their insurance policy.”

The research⁽¹⁾ further reveals that previous weather warnings advising people not to drive unless absolutely necessary may be falling on deaf ears.  Around one in five (18 per cent) motorists, some 6.3 million, claim to have ignored such advice.

Just over 1.8 million motorists have broken down, had an accident, or been stranded as a consequence of ignoring advice not to drive in the last five years.  Around one in ten motorists who have ignored advice to leave the car at home, equivalent to just fewer than 800,000 people, have had an accident as a result.

Sainsbury’s Car Insurance offers the following cold weather motoring tips:
• Check your battery (make sure you check your car manual before you do this), monitor your oil, water and brake fluid levels on a regular basis and make sure your car has a winter service
• Check tyre condition for both pressure and legal tread depth - the current minimum legal tread depth for cars is 1.6mm
• Make sure you de-ice all of your windows before driving and that you have antifreeze in your car
• Use your headlights in rain or snow – remember to ensure your lights are clean so that you can see and also be seen, and don’t drive too close to the vehicle in front of you, allowing more time and distance to brake and accelerate
• Where possible use major routes, which may have been gritted/salted
• Take a mobile phone if you have one - remember to ensure the battery is fully charged but don't use it whilst driving unless you have a hands-free kit
• Check the weather and travel advice before you set off on your journey

For further information, please contact:
Phil Anderson/Max Duddy
Citigate Dewe Rogerson
020 7638 9571

Notes to Editors:
⁽¹⁾ 2,053 GB adults aged 16-64 were interviewed online by ICM between 11th – 13th December 2009. The consumer omnibus research conducted by ICM uses a large sample size that reflects the demographic profile of GB aged 16-64. Given this it is possible to extrapolate figures and make projections from the research results within appropriate confidence intervals.
⁽²⁾ The Met Office, Mon 22nd Feb 2010
⁽³⁾  Analysis of Sainsbury’s Car Insurance claims from February 2009 compared to the same period in 2008.
⁽⁴⁾  998 people were interviewed by TNS between 19th and 21st December 2008. The research identified that 0.3 per cent of the population, or an estimated 140,000 people, have been a victim of frosting car crime in the last five years. This equates to 28,000 people annually – which when divided by the number of households per person in the UK (1.819*) equates to 15,393 households being victims of ‘frosting’ every year.
*      Adult population (45,300,400) / number of households (24.9 million) = 1.819

-ends-

Sainsbury’s Finance:
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