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Join ARC360 on demand for a ‘Mobility Special’ – lifting the lid on the changing landscape for mobility – from modern technologies and human behaviours, to connectivity and future concepts – exploring just what it all means to those involved in the insurance claims sector.
Featuring: Greg Cole, UK Claims Director, Aioi Nissay Dowa; Dean Lander, Head of Repair Sector Services, Thatcham Research; Richard Price, Aftersales Director, BMW UK Ltd; and Stuart Sandell, Assistant Vice President – Sales – UK and Ireland, Enterprise Holdings.
Costs rise as supply chains feel squeeze
The cost of repair rose 14% between H1 2019 and H1 2021 and is likely to continue to climb according to the latest research from Trend Tracker.
Using Audatex data as basis for its repair insight, data shows parts and paint rose 12% and 13% respectively between 2019 and 2021, whilst ‘additional costs’ – those relating to areas such as Covid-19 charges and ADAS calibrations – rose by 46% during the same period.
NBRA to host green awards
The NBRA will host its Greener Bodyshop Awards on Thursday 9 September 2021 to bring together bodyshops and suppliers of green services and products to the industry.
Chris Weeks, Director of the National Body Repair Association (NBRA), said, “Following the success of the first Greener Bodyshop Awards ceremony in 2019, we will be holding a second bigger event later this year which will recognise vehicle body repairers in the industry who are committed to reducing their impact on the environment, by implementing measures for pollution and energy reduction.”
‘Very large’ driving test backlog
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has acknowledged a “very large” backlog of circa 440,000 driving tests due to the pandemic.
According to the BBC, he said the DVLA has put in place a recovery plan to increase the number of tests carried out every day. He added, “I will personally be seeing to them keeping to track on that recovery plan because young people need to be able to take their tests and pass.”
Previously the BBC revealed learner drivers in Scotland faced a 16-week wait to sit a theory test – almost four times longer than candidates in England and Wales.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) said its testing capacity was limited in Scotland as centres must ensure people observe two metre physical distancing. Only one metre distancing is required south of the border.
The DVSA also revealed that the number of practical tests carried out in the last year had dropped by 72.7% from 2019 to 2020.
Covid-related issues continue to hit production
UK car production rose dramatically in May, according to the latest SMMT figures but still face ongoing Covid-related issues.
Some 54,962 cars rolled off production lines compared to just 5,314 a year ago. Performance, however, was still far below pre-pandemic levels, down -52.6% on the same month in 2019.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “May’s figures continue to look inflated when compared to last year’s near total standstill of production lines. The recovery of car production is, however, still massively challenged here and abroad by global supply shortages, particularly semiconductors.”
Carpenters Group joins MGAA
Carpenters Group, the legal firm providing third-party claims services to insurers, brokers and MGAs, has joined the Managing General Agents’ Association (MGAA) as a Supplier Member.
The partnership will ensure that members of the MGAA have access to Carpenters’ fully outsourced claims services encompassing FNOL claims handling, to TPA services through to a comprehensive Defendant litigation capability to trial.
The move comes as MGAs get to grips with the new demands placed upon them by the implementation of the Civil Liability Act.
IPPR suggests EV focus could see 28% rise in car ownership
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) analysis of the Committee on Climate Change’s sixth carbon budget shows that current approaches to reaching net zero could lead to 10 million more cars on the road by 2050.
It also claims it would result in an 11% rise in car traffic between 2021 and 2050.
The IPPR report argues that to be fair to all, the UK government’s upcoming plan for decarbonising transport must focus on improving people’s quality of life – and this cannot be achieved through a shift to electric vehicles alone.
IPPR is a registered charity and the UK’s pre-eminent progressive think tank.
AND-E UK and Flock team up
Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance UK Limited (AND-E UK) and UK InsurTech Flock, have developed two connected motor fleet insurance products which are now available to self-drive hire, own goods, courier and tradesperson fleets across the UK.
AND-E UK is part of Aioi Nissay Dowa Europe (AND-E) which is part of the MS&AD group, one of Asia’s largest insurers. Combining AND-E UK’s significant capacity and motor industry experience with Flock’s risk intelligence and policy management platform, fleet managers can now access insurance tailored to their operations and designed to help improve safety over time.
Copart celebrates International Women in Engineering Day
Copart celebrated International Women in Engineering Day this week by catching up with Rachael Martindale, Copart’s first female engineer after achieving an IMI Vehicle Damage Assessor (VDA) qualification.
Rachael’s career with Copart began over five years ago when she joined the business as a Claims Settlement Advisor. She moved into an administrative role within the Vehicle Engineering team, before pursuing a career as a Vehicle Image Engineer.
Rachael said, “Now that the last remaining covid restrictions are easing, there have been reports in the news that road traffic has now risen above pre-pandemic levels for the first time. As a business, we are certainly seeing the effects of this and the volume of accident-damaged vehicles coming through Copart have increased.”
ERS puts stop to £63,000 PI fraud
Specialist motor insurer ERS has successfully pursued a private prosecution against three fraudsters who made false allegations against its’ client in an effort to secure £63,000 in personal injury damages.
It is the first time an insurer has used the Fraud act to secure convictions against both a claimant as well as the witnesses supporting the claim and reaffirms ERS’ zero-tolerance approach to motor insurance fraud.
All three individuals, who were employed as taxi drivers in High Wycombe, were successfully convicted of fraud by misrepresentation. The Claimant received an 18-month suspended prison sentence and the two witnesses each received a community order. All three parties lost their taxi licences as a result of their convictions.
Bowled over
Fix Auto Bradford South found itself in the national limelight this week after local cricketer Asif Ali literally smashed his ball for six… and shattered the rear window of his car in the process.
The comical incident occurred last weekend as Asif was playing for Illingworth St Mary Cricket Club which the Yorkshire repairer has sponsored for the last five years.
After being initially reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post newspaper, the story went national with Asif’s misfortune being reported by the BBC, ITV and Sky News along with numerous national newspapers including The Mirror, Daily Mail and Telegraph.
