Progressive Data Shows 30% Rise in Single-Vehicle Claims on New Year’s Day

December 26, 2012

According to data from Progressive Insurance, single-vehicle claims were up 30 percent on New Year’s Day 2012, when compared to the same day of the week two weeks prior to and after New Year’s Day.

The total number of claims saw a jump of around 25 percent, with the largest increase coming in the single-vehicle variety, according to the Mayfield Village, Ohio-based Progressive. A single-vehicle claim occurs when one car has an incident, and no other car is involved.

Notable jumps in single-vehicle claims on New Year’s Day include:

• 30 percent increase in single-vehicle claims
• 76 percent increase in single-vehicle rollovers
• 59 percent increase in a single-vehicles running off the road and striking an object
• 29 percent increase in single-vehicles that swerved to avoid something and hit an object
• 19 percent increase in striking an object in the road

“We’ve all heard the phrase, ‘I’m my own worst enemy,’ and that phrase rings as true as ever on New Year’s Day,” said Maria Cashy, the claims customer service process leader at Progressive.

“The large increase in single-vehicle claims could be attributed to a variety of factors such as icy streets, more people out on the roads or late-night driving. Regardless, the best thing you can do to keep yourself safe is stay off the road.”

For those who are out on New Year’s, Cashy recommends getting a cab or having a designated driver.

“For taxi drivers, navigating the icy roads is the norm at this time of year,” she said. “They know the spots to avoid, are accustomed to late-night driving and are used to crowded roadways.”

For the drivers who find themselves in an accident this New Year’s, Progressive recommends the following steps:

• Stay calm. Keeping a normal demeanor helps stay in control of the situation.

• Make sure the driver/passengers are OK. Move as far off the roadway as possible, but stay at the scene of the accident. Warn oncoming traffic by activating hazard warning lights and/or setting flares.

• Call the police. Call 911 or the appropriate emergency number to report the accident.

• Contact the insurance company and report the claim. The sooner the insurance company knows about the accident, the sooner they can start working to resolve the claim.

• Do not discuss the car accident with anyone other than the police and the claims representative.

• If it’s a multi-car accident, exchange vital information with the other driver involved in the car accident. Write down the name, address, phone number and license numbers for all drivers and witnesses, particularly those who were not riding in a vehicle involved in the accident. Ask for the insurance companies and policy numbers for drivers involved in the car accident.

Topics Trends Auto Claims

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