New data suggests motor insurers need to be extra vigilant in the coming months

Allianz is warning that hard-pressed motorists are trying to save money by not maintaining their vehicles properly, which could cause a spike in claims to insurers.

Allianz has collated a range of evidence to suggest this is happening, but the insurer points to data collected from MOT work on vehicles.

The data shows that there is an alarming rise in the number of cars on the road with illegal tyre tread depths.

Allianz believes that this is leading to more accidents on the road and more claims for insurers.

Click here to download Allianz tyre tread PDF

Winter of discontent

In its update to brokers on the fleet and motor trade market, Allianz also warns that insurers would be unwise to write-off the severe winter as a ‘one-off’.

There is a big debate in the insurance industry at present over whether the last two severe winters were one-offs or are the start of a repeated pattern.

The debate will play an important role in how insurers adjust their rates for motor, but especially home insurance, in the coming years.

Allianz head of commercial and motor trade Roger Ball says: “Uncertainty remains as to whether this was an unusual series of events or the new norm.

“Insurers would be foolish to dismiss the likelihood of reoccurrence.”

Although the evidence is still circumstantial, Allianz is giving credibility to a theory that a large volume of cold water in the British Canada basin, upset by climatic change, could be flowing south in the Atlantic. This could be affecting the warm currents that flow into the UK and keep the country warm.

Motoring manslaughter

Finally, highlighting another challenge to the motor fleet industry, Allianz points to the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act, introduced in April 2008, as something that will need to be watched. If a lorry driver is not taking adequate breaks, for example, and the company has failed to adequately control and monitor break times, the directors could be liable for corporate manslaughter if there is fatal crash.

Allianz believes brokers can play a valuable risk management role in ensuring motor fleet firms do not fall foul of the Act. There is a range of information provide by the Health and Safety Executive, such as driving at work guidelines, road traffic acts and additional regulations regarding drivers hours, that can be accessed easily from their website.