Why Insurance Companies May Wish to Become Strategic Partners

Road traffic collisions have a significant financial impact, not only on the individuals and families involved, but also on insurers, employers, emergency services, healthcare providers and the wider economy.

Insurance companies pay billions of pounds each year in claims relating to vehicle damage, personal injury, rehabilitation, legal costs and vehicle replacement. Serious collisions can result in claims running into hundreds of thousands—or even millions—of pounds over the lifetime of an injured person.

At Voices for Road Safety, we believe there is an opportunity to explore whether insurers, alongside local authorities and other strategic partners, could play a greater role in supporting evidence-led road safety initiatives that have the potential to reduce collisions before they happen.

Reducing the number and severity of collisions could benefit everyone:

• Fewer people killed or seriously injured.
• Lower insurance claim costs.
• Reduced pressure on the NHS and emergency services.
• Less congestion following collisions.
• Lower economic losses for businesses and communities.
• Greater confidence for people to use rural roads safely.

Insurance companies already encourage safer driving through initiatives such as telematics ("black box") insurance, driver education and risk-based premiums. Voices for Road Safety believes there may be opportunities to build on these approaches by working collaboratively with local authorities, researchers and communities to support evidence-led improvements to rural road safety.

We recognize that decisions about funding remain entirely a matter for insurers and their stakeholders. Our aim is simply to explore whether partnership working could create shared benefits for road users, communities and insurers alike.

Possible Areas of Collaboration

Voices for Road Safety welcomes discussion with the insurance industry to explore opportunities including:

• Supporting research into rural road safety.
• Funding pilot projects and innovative safety initiatives.
• Supporting post-test driver education.
• Working with driving instructors to promote road safety messages.
• Sharing anonymity claims data to help improve understanding of collision trends (where appropriate and lawful).
• Supporting community engagement and awareness campaigns.
• Helping evaluate the effectiveness of road safety interventions.

A Shared Investment in Prevention

Every serious collision that is prevented represents a benefit to everyone.

For families, it may mean avoiding tragedy.

For communities, it means safer roads and greater confidence.

For local authorities, it supports their Vision Zero and Safe System ambitions.

For insurers, preventing collisions has the potential to reduce the human and financial costs associated with road traffic claims.

Voices for Road Safety believes that by bringing together communities, strategic partners and the insurance industry, we can explore practical ways to support safer roads through collaboration, evidence and shared responsibility.