Women are more likely to make a claim for an accident in a new car, while men more likely to bump an old car
Audi, Mercedes and BMW are the top three makes more likely to be involved in an accident when new than when older
As the new 68-registration plate is introduced Admiral car insurance has revealed that drivers in new cars, are 21% more likely to have an accident than those driving an older car1. And drivers of a car that is new to them have a 27% higher claim frequency than those who have had their car for longer than twelve months.
Women worst when it comes to new wheels
Female drivers were found to be more likely to have an accident in a new car, while men are more likely to have a bump in an older car.
51% of claims made for accidents in new cars2 involved female drivers compared to 47% of accidents in older cars. Conversely 47% of claims for accidents in new cars involved male drivers, compared to 52% of claims in old cars.
When it comes to age, drivers aged 45-54 and 55-64 were both more likely to have accidents in new cars than older cars. 45-54 year olds were responsible for 18% of accidents in new cars, compared to 16% of accidents in older cars. 55-64 year olds were responsible for 9% of accidents in new cars compared to 7% of accidents in older cars. All other age groups were responsible for more accidents in older cars than newer cars, with 30% of accident claims in older cars from 25-34 years olds compared to 27% of accident claims in new cars.
The types of accidents more commonly seen in new cars compared to old cars may be due to the driver being unfamiliar with the size and dimensions of their new car.
Drivers adjusting to a new car are more likely to have low impact bumps than other types of accidents. Collisions in car parks are more common among drivers of new cars, and they are more likely to hit stationary or permanent objects or features such as walls, posts and bollards, than drivers who are familiar with the dimensions of their vehicle.
10 types of accidents MORE common by drivers in new cars than old cars
But it’s not all bad news for new car drivers however, as Admiral also identified the accident types that drivers in new cars were LESS likely to claim for. It includes more high impact accidents, suggesting drivers of new cars could be more cautious than those driving more familiar cars.
10 types of accidents LESS likely in new cars than old
Does the model make a difference?
When it comes to type of car, Admiral revealed the car makes where drivers of new models more commonly make a claim for an accident than those driving older ones. Audi, Mercedes and BMW top the list of brands.
Top 10 car makes more commonly involved in accidents when new than when old
Commenting on the findings, Lorna Connelly, Head of Claims at Admiralsaid: “Whether you have a brand-new car or even one that’s new to you, adjusting to the different size and dimensions of the vehicle can take some time. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve just passed your driving test or have been driving for some time, the likelihood of having an accident increases when you change your car so it’s important drivers buying a new car this week take care to avoid bumping their new wheels.
“We found that many claims for accidents in new cars were the result of not being aware of obstacles around the car, such as bollards, walls and posts. Nobody wants to scrape a lovely new car, so drivers should spend some extra time getting familiar with it, it’s dimensions and size, and the way it drives. It could end up preventing any needless bumps. Thankfully more and more new cars are fitted with technology which can help reduce parking accidents such as rear view cameras, so hopefully we’ll start seeing these types of accidents reducing in the future.”
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