Sutton and Hemel Hempstead are home to the highest number of drivers who have made accident claims on their car insurance in the last five years, new research shows.
Some 18.93 and 18.85 per cent, respectively, of main driver claims from these areas featured an accident, according to data from MoneySupermarket.
In comparison, the Scottish city of Inverness was found to be the place that had the lowest number of road accidents.
Only 10.2 per cent of car insurance enquiries by motorists in the area featured a main driver accident claim.
The London Boroughs of Sutton and Hemel Hempstead have the most accidents in the UK
The research analysed over 21million car insurance enquiries by location to reveal who have the most accidents in the UK.
Drivers had to mention any accidents within the last five years and the data was collected between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2020.
It found Scottish drivers in Dumfries and Galloway and Perth followed Inverness to have the least problems as the areas had just 11.44 per cent and 11.49 per cent, respectively, of driver claims featuring an accident.
Meanwhile, Watford and Slough followed the London Borough of Sutton and Hemel Hempstead as home to some of the places with the most accidents in the UK.
Some 18.35 per cent of Watford drivers and 18.23 per cent of Slough motorists included a main driver accident claim.
Birmingham, Huddersfield, Halifax and Kingston-upon-Thames also featured in the list.
When looking at age, older drivers are the least likely to be in a road accident, with just 15.03 per cent of those in the 65+ age bracket making a claim as a main driver.
The 20 to 24 year-old age group are most likely to have a main driver accident claim at 17.56 per cent.
Overall, the research confirmed that cities and towns in more rural locations tend to have a lower overall rate of main driver accident claims than places in more developed areas.
| Area | Total enquiries | Number of enquiries with a main driver accident claim | Percentage of enquiries with a main driver accident claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| IV – Inverness | 64,418 | 6,573 | 10.20% |
| DG – Dumfries and Galloway | 42,453 | 4,857 | 11.44% |
| PH – Perth | 44,020 | 5,058 | 11.49% |
| SY – Shrewsbury | 96,021 | 11,307 | 11.78% |
| BT – Belfast | 350,074 | 41,978 | 11.99% |
| LL – Llandudno | 156,338 | 19,108 | 12.22% |
| EX – Exeter | 145,469 | 18,329 | 12.60% |
| TR – Truro | 87,353 | 11,096 | 12.70% |
| AB – Aberdeen | 153,488 | 19,510 | 12.71% |
| NW – North West London | 189,655 | 24,148 | 12.73% |
| Source: MoneySuperMarket | |||
Kate Devine, car insurance expert at MoneySupermarket, said: ‘This is important because it can impact the level of your premium in a couple of ways.
‘Firstly, insurers consider a range of factors when giving you a quote – including your postcode – so if you live in an area associated with a high rate of accidents, or indeed thefts, you could pay more.
‘Secondly, when you declare an accident that you’ve claimed for in the past, insurers will likely view you as more of a risk which could lead to a higher premium quote.’
Drivers are encouraged to not let their policy automatically renew and shop around instead for a better deal.
Purchasing a policy between 15 to 28 days before the renewal date can also save drivers as much as 17 per cent on the price they would pay than if they renewed closer to the policy end date.
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