Motorists urged to drive safely abroad this summer as car insurer sees huge rise in claims

British motorists who drive their cars abroad are being urged take care, as Admiral reveals the number of overseas insurance claims it has dealt with has risen 160% in the last five years.

With millions of Brits taking their car abroad each year, the car insurance specialist has identified the most common destinations for accidents as part of its new campaign to ensure drivers have a safe summer, including advice and tips for those who have accidents on their road trips.

The study of Admiral insured drivers by the insurer looked at ten years of motor accidents abroad and shows Londoners aged 30-39 and driving a VW Golf in France are the most likely to have an accident whilst driving oversees. The most common type of car to be involved in an accident abroad is a BMW (11%) followed by a Volkswagen (9%) and the Audi (9%).

Top 10 cars most likely to be involved in an accident abroad

The top accident abroad hotspots include our closest European neighbour France where nearly half of all claims (47%) took place in the last decade followed by Germany (9%) and Spain (7%). Belgium, Italy, Poland and the Republic of Ireland were joint 4th, each accounting for 5% of claims and the picture for 2016, follows a similar trend.

Top 10 destinations for car accident claims in 2016

Over the last ten years, drivers aged 30-39 have made the most driving abroad car insurance claims (30%), followed by those aged 40-49 (24%). Interestingly, drivers aged 20-29 accounted for 19% of accidents.

When it comes to who’s at fault for the accidents, the 2016 data shows British drivers insured with Admiral were responsible for 51% of accidents abroad claimed for while the most common month is August, the height of summer. In 2016, a quarter of all claims for driving accidents abroad were made in the month of August.

Commenting on the figures, Lorna Connelly, head of Claims at Admiralsaid: “Driving abroad is a great way to have the freedom to explore new places, without to cost of flights. There’s no reason it shouldn’t be a really enjoyable experience, but just as accidents can happen at home, they can happen abroad too, and different laws and languages can cause additional stress.

“To ensure an accident doesn’t ruin your holiday we’re calling on all drivers to make sure they’re well informed, so if the worst should happen, they are properly prepared.  You can do this by having the right documentation on you, by being aware of the rules of the road in the country you’re visiting and finally by knowing what to do and where to report details of any accidents.”

Admiral’s checklist if you have an accident while driving abroad

1 Take your documentation including your certificate of motor insurance, driving licence (including the paper part) and the vehicle registration document abroad with you.

2 Take a copy of the Agreed Statement of Facts on Motor Vehicle Accident with you (a European accident form which goes by different names in different countries). You can find a copy of this in English at http://cartraveldocs.com/

3 Ensure you save the contact details for your insurance company into your phone.

4 Make sure you have sufficient travel insurance for you and your family as most motor insurance policies will only cover the car and not onward travel for you and your luggage. 

5 If you are involved in an accident, make a note of where the accident happened, including the date and time. Use your smartphone to see the exact location and take a screenshot. 

6 Take pictures of the accident at a safe distance. Also take photos of the vehicles involved; make sure you have a good photo of the registration number on the front and back of all vehicles. 

7 Take all witness details, names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses. 

8 Don’t sign anything unless you understand what it is you are signing. In European countries you will be presented with the Agreed Statement of Facts on Motor Vehicle Accident. If you are involved in an incident with another driver they will present you with the form, it is split into two sections and each driver involved is expected to complete it with their version of events. The English language version you take with you is for translation purposes only, it will help you understand each section of the form the other driver will give you. 

9 Ask the local authority to recover the car if you can. Make sure you have their address and contact details and make sure you know where they are taking your car. 

10 Most importantly, remain calm, stay safe and phone your car insurer, and your travel insurer if you need onward travel.