Motorists' refusal to apologise costs £28m a year

A new report reveals that motorists' refusal to say sorry following an accident costs them £28 million a year.

Two in five men (38 per cent) feel that apologising after an accident would harm their own insurance claim or hinder them from claiming from the other involved party, despite 88 per cent alleging they want to say sorry.

The Norwich Union 'Sorry! Report' also reveals that men are twice as likely as women to not apologise after an accident.

Dominic Clayden, Norwich Union?s director of technical claims says: "Not saying sorry has two effects, it encourages some people to exaggerate minor damages or injuries and prevents others from correctly identifying the extent of their injuries.

"Both have an escalatory affect on the cost of claims that are passed on to motorists in the form of increased premiums and excesses."

The study also revealed that 31 per cent of motorists admitted that if the other party in an accident were aggressive or angry, they would be likely to exaggerate injuries or vehicle damage.

However, if the other driver was friendly, 40 per cent of motorists said they would be less likely to do this.

The 'Sorry! Report' shows a fifth of motorists said they would feel calmer and less stressed about the situation if the other party apologised, and over half of those who had been advised not to say sorry agreed it would make the situation calmer and less stressful.

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