Whiplash lie detector on way

09th October 2009

Insurance fraudsters watch out! A new whiplash lie detector is in development that aims to stamp out those dodgy claims for good.

The dubious practice of pretending an accident has resulted in a crippling neck injury is rife in the UK; whiplash claims currently cost the industry £2billion a year and add £66 to every premium, says the AA.

But a new Whiplash Injury Toolkit (Witkit), being developed by car security research centre Thatcham and six insurers, will soon detect whether an injury
is genuine or not.

The software uses an info database on every car. Details of the accident are entered – such as the claimant’s sex, weight and height, how many passengers were in the car and whether it contained luggage – and the system then indicates whether a neck injury is likely. As well as speeding up the handling of legitimate claims, the new programme would be able to spot false ones, too.

That’s a top priority for cover providers, as figures reveal that 1,200 whiplash claims are made every day. As it’s very difficult to test whether someone is in pain, it’s usually easier for insurers to pay out than argue and go to court.

A similar system used in Germany by Allianz, one of the insurers working on the Witkit, has already cut payouts by a massive 30 per cent – so we should see premiums reduced here, too.

Thatcham’s director of commercial development, Lesley Upham, told Auto Express: “Witkit is in the last stages of testing. The programme is accurate and customisable. It’s the first time a bit of science has been used in this area.”

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