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Guardian Angel technology protects drivers in risky hotspots

20th November 2014 Print

An alarming 6,393 more car accidents happen on UK roads in winter than in summer , and with National Road Safety Week (17th – 23rd November) upon us, these stats rev up an urgent need to improve road safety.

Carrot Car Insurance, the specialist provider of telematics insurance for 17-24 year olds, has noted a 6.2 per cent increase in road accident frequency since October this year, raising concerns for inexperienced Brits who are left vulnerable as road conditions slip in the run up to winter.

The East Midlands is the UK’s road accident hot spot, according to the Road Safety Foundation, which revealed 31 fatal and serious crashes occurring per billion vehicle kilometres traveled in the area. The riskiest motorways can be found in the South East, while the North West is home to the most dangerous ‘A’ roads .

While prevention is always better than cure, 183,670 road casualties were reported in 2013, with the estimated total casualties (including those not reported to the police) at a startling 720,000 . And while mirror, signal, maneuver may be driven into motorists from day one, there are no instructions provided on what action to take following a collision, drivers are simply left to fend for themselves upon impact.

Telematics however, can act as a ‘Guardian Angel’ for novice drivers, providing immediate assistance in the event of a collision. Carrot in particular uses Track Impact Management (TIM) technology, which alerts the team when a customer experiences anything from a small bump to a serious crash.

The technology identifies impact speed, angle and severity in each case and can even detect if the car is upside down. This detailed data helps Carrot quickly decipher the severity of the incident and make an educated decision as to whether the customer needs assistance or not. If the data reveals the incident is serious, and more than a light bump, the customer will receive a roadside phone call to see if they need emergency services, or indeed, a lift home from a guardian.

TIM also pinpoints the exact location of a crash, meaning, in more severe incidents, Carrot can direct the emergency services to the site of the crash.

Carrot has reported a 62 per cent increase in the number of 17-27 year olds signing up to its telematics unit - the i-box, showing that the younger generation is embracing the protection this technology offers. The i-box measures individual driving style and Carrot rewards customers for driving safely.

Ed Rochfort, product director at Carrot, commented: “National Road Safety Week does a fantastic job in raising awareness of the importance of road safety. At Carrot, we believe that educating drivers and rewarding them for safe driving is far more effective in improving safety than imposing strict restrictions like curfews on young drivers, which can leave them rushing around on roads that are already treacherous.

“Telematics provides us with a way to monitor safety at a distance, rather than being intrusive and imposing strict rules on young drivers. We believe that this technology is really paving the way when it comes to the future of road safety, and recent figures showing the dangerous nature of certain roads highlights the vital role this technology can play.”

To find out more, visit carrotinsurance.com.