AA motor claims doubling in wintry weather

AA Insurance today said snow and ice have led to a 100% increase in car insurance claims compared to a typical December Monday.

Claims staff at the AA’s Cardiff call centre have drafted managers in to help handle the workload. 650 new claims were logged, compared with a usual 314.

Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance, said: "Call volumes are at unprecedented levels and we are prioritising the most urgent cases. The morning commute saw many people struggling to work with some icy roads resembling fairground dodgems as cars collide with each other and with kerbs, lamp posts and bollards. With heavy snow in many areas this evening we’re expecting a similar pattern to develop.

“Thankfully, the number of personal injury cases is about 10% lower than on normal December days despite the high volume of claims, thanks to the low speed nature of most accidents.

Douglas said that over the weekend, which brought Britain almost to a halt, the number of claims overall was up by a more modest 22% compared with the previous weekend but traffic levels were considerably lower than normal because of the weather putting many drivers off.

Douglas added that customers attributed 71% of all claims to snow or ice. He urged drivers to heed the advice of local police and only drive if absolutely necessary.