Recent research from AA Insurance has found that the rise in claims for whiplash incidents has put a strain on how competitive insurance premiums can be. The insurance provider, in conjunction with Association of British Insurers produced a report that found 1,200 were claiming for whiplash injuries, on a daily basis, an increase of 25 per cent, in the past five years.

Simon Douglas, director of AA Insurance said: "The cost of whiplash claims equates to about £66 for every UK car insurance policy, or about 14 per cent of the average Shoparound car insurance premium. This is more than twice the cost of claims for accidents with uninsured drivers.

"Over the past year, the average quoted Shoparound premium for a comprehensive car insurance policy increased by 8.7 per cent and whiplash injury will become an increasingly important factor in future premium increases."

However, Edmund King, president of the AA, gave some pointers on how to avoid incidents that can lead to whiplash, such as “adjusting head restraints before they drive off. The top of the head restraint should be level with the top of the driver's head, or at least no lower than eye level. He also advised drivers to keep a safe distance, of at least two seconds apart.