Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser has welcomed UK Government measures that will help motorists reduce the cost of driving, including a crackdown on whiplash fraud, a freeze on MOT test prices and a scheme designed to reduce the cost of fuel at service stations.
The UK Government announced that it will be cracking down on whiplash fraudsters, who will now be targeted by independent medical panels to ensure that only evidence from accredited professionals can be considered in any claims.
Bogus compensation claims have helped to push up motor insurance premiums in recent years, with over half a million claims made in 2012 leading to £2billion in pay-outs.
The UK Government has also announced that the price of an MOT will be frozen until 2015 at £54.85, which is expected to save motorists across Britain £50m a year.
Commenting Murdo Fraser MSP said:
“I am confident that these measures will be welcomed across Mid-Scotland and Fife as they promise to offer a welcome cut to the costs of running a car. This news will be particularly well received in rural parts of the region where residents rely on travelling by car.
“Every year hundreds of thousands of claims for whiplash are made with insurers saying that these claims have cost them over £2billion in pay-outs.
“This inevitably leads to a rise in premiums for all other motorists, and it is simply unfair that they should have to shoulder the costs of these claims. The independent medical panels that are being set up promise to stop these unsubstantial claims and ensure that only victims with genuine claims receive the help they deserve.
“An MOT price freeze coupled with increasing competition at forecourts will combine to create savings for motorists across Scotland.”