Transport Committee to launch whiplash inquiry

The Transport Committee has launched an inquiry into how to cut the number and cost of whiplash claims.

Committee chair Louise Ellman said: “It is vitally important for policymakers to understand the reasons for the very high cost of motor insurance, especially for young drivers, and to take steps to bring that cost down.

“Whiplash claims undoubtedly play a part in driving up the cost of motor insurance, but access to justice for injured people must be preserved. We want to hear the arguments on these points and will publish a report in the summer about the best way forward on this difficult issue.”

The committee is interested in finding out:

• Whether the government is correct to call Great Britain the “whiplash capital of the world”
• Whether it is correct to say that the costs of whiplash claims add £90 to the average premium and, if so, what proportion of this additional cost is due to “exaggerated, misrepresented or fabricated” claims
• Whether the proposals put forward by the government around medical evidence of whiplash and incentives to challenge fraudulent or exaggerated claims could reduce motor insurance premiums, and by what extent
• The likely impact of the proposals on access to justice for claimants who are genuinely injured
• Whether there are other steps the government should be taking to reduce the cost of motor insurance.

The committee wants written answers by 15 April.