Over 100,000 crashed cars 'returning to roads every year'

More than 100,000 written-off vehicles returned to Britain's roads last year as people look to save money on motoring.

New research from Swiftcover released today (April 28th) shows that the number of crashed cars being repaired and put back on the road rose by ten per cent to nearly 105,000 in 2009, but warns that many of these vehicles may not have car insurance and breakdown cover.

If a previously written-off car is not covered by annual insurance, Swiftcover says that drivers may be forced to pay vastly inflated prices for repairs should they have another accident, as damaged old cars often cost more to fix than newer models.

Insurers write-off cars if the cost of mending them after a crash exceeds the total value of the car, but Robin Reames, director of Swiftcover, says that many motorists are being tempted to repair damaged vehicles.

"It might be tempting to buy a written-off vehicle if the price tag is cheap, but the cost of repairing the vehicle again following an accident means such vehicles are a higher insurance risk, so drivers could end up out of pocket in the event of a claim," he said.

By Bret Clement