Vehicle damage claims in Wales fall 20% since speed limit cut to 20mph, says insurer | The Guardian

5 comments

1. Phew, I guess all the Welsh drivers insurance bills will drop by 20% then…

2. Why do all these pro 20mph stories lack any clear data to back up the claims?

   There are so many moving parts when it comes to insurance. Is it based on the cost of claims? Number of claims? Is there any change in Esures client base? e.g. have they shifted from one target group (e.g. young drivers) to another (e.g. older drivers). Has the growth of WFH had an impact on the miles covered by their customers? Has the number of their customers in Wales gone up or down? And so on and on.

   Just randomly saying there was a 20% drop without clarification of what the number means is pointless.

3. Suprise… Suprise…

4. I expect that although the number of accidents won’t change much, the severity of them will.

5. esure press release.

   “Insurance company esure has seen a 20% drop in claims for car accidents in Wales since the
   groundbreaking 20mph speed limit was introduced.

   Wales was one of the first countries in the world, and the first nation in the UK, to introduce
   legislation to have a default 20mph speed limit in September 2023. The change applied to restricted
   roads only, usually in residential and built-up areas where there are lots of people and street lights.

   Esure’s Rob Clark, Head of Motor Underwriting, said: “We can see a clear drop in claims for car
   accidents in Wales since the 20mph speed restriction was introduced in September 2023. During a
   time when we usually see these claims rise, they dropped and have continued to do so in Q1 2024.
   The restriction is clearly having an impact.”

   Not-for-profit organisation 20’s Plenty campaigned for the speed limit reduction and is delighted to
   see the lower limit having a direct impact on road safety. It asks for a speed limit of 20mph to be
   normal in residential areas and in town and village centres, with exceptions where appropriate.

   20’s Plenty founder Rod King MBE said:

   “This confirms on a national scale the benefits from lower speeds not only reducing casualties and
   danger but also providing a benefit to drivers in reduced insurance claims.
   The reductions are both statistically significant and timely in showing the reduction in road danger
   from implementing 20mph limits on a national basis. We thank esure for their interest and action in
   identifying and demonstrating these benefits to communities and drivers.
   Statistically, some of those crashes which never happened would have resulted in death or injury for
   the road users involved. The national 20mph limits has already saved lives and injury. Well done Wales””

   https://www.esuregroup.com/media/muqdfwsf/esure-20mph_10_06_2024.pdf