Thatcham expects to produce "court admissible" whiplash research to help insurers fend off fraudulent motor claims by the end of next year.

The work is part of an international insurance programme involving insurers from Sweden, Germany and Switzerland. The motor research centre has also enlisted the help of the legal profession, including a number of judges and law firms to ensure that the evidence is admissible in court.

Earlier this year Thatcham began investigating the effects of car collisions at five to eight mph. Work is shortly due to begin on crashes at 15mph. Insurers hope the research will result in "compelling evidence" that proves injuries cannot be sustained in collisions below a certain speed.

Thatcham's research crash manager, Matthew Avery, said: "We are looking at how we can curb whiplash fraud.

"By analysing impacts at both these speeds we can ensure car manufacturers do not sub-optimise their cars so that they are safe at 10mph but not at 12mph."

He added that by the end of the year the developers hoped to have produced a prototype of a computer-based whiplash injury tool kit or "witkit", which analyses the injury risk resulting from crashes at different speeds and involving different types of cars and seats.

"This evidence will enable insurers to produce scientifically based risk ratio evidence illustrating the likelihood of a person being injured in a particular crash."

He said that insurers will then be able to decide whether or not to refute a personal injury claim.

David Williams, claims director at Axa, added that it is not only insurers who should be positive about the research but also claimant solicitors as they are duty-bound to ensure people don't put fraudulent claims through the courts.

"Honest motorists would also benefit through premium reductions as insurers add on the cost of fraudulent claims to all policies."

Roy Hebburn, divisional claims manager at Allianz Insurance, said: “Thatcham's work follows compelling evidence produced in Germany that injuries cannot happen below certain speeds.” He added: “In the UK 17% of motor claims result in injuries which is the second highest rate in Europe after Italy. Of those claims three quarters involve whiplash injury. Elsewhere in Europe these figures are unheard of. Are the necks of the English weaker than those of foreigners?

“Whiplash is subjective so we need a causation analysis tool to help deter frivolous claims,” he said.

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Source:  Ed Vinales Post Magazine