Challenging weekend for BTCC pace-setters ends on high note, however Honda has more negatives than positives at Thruxton.

• Challenging weekend for BTCC pace-setters ends on high note
• Matt Neal banishes early disappointment with late podium joy
• Gordon Shedden showcases awesome pace of Honda Civic Type R

Matt Neal kept himself and Halfords Yuasa Racing at the top of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship title standings with a fourth podium finish of the 2016 campaign at the end of a rollercoaster weekend at super-fast Thruxton.

After qualifying a tremendous third on maximum success ballast – only narrowly missing out in an enthralling scrap for pole position – Neal rapidly moved to the front of the field in a chaotic curtain-raiser.

The three-time champion later suffered a puncture as he exited the final chicane, damaging his steering and sending cars darting left and right in attempted avoidance. Team-mate Gordon Shedden was collected in the melee, having climbed into the top six from 11^th on the grid.

The race was red-flagged and the Halfords Yuasa Racing crew set swiftly to work to repair the two battered cars. Their heroic effort was richly repaid as Shedden stormed through the order from 23^rd on the grid in a shortened second encounter, demonstrating the prowess of the Honda Civic Type R and proving just why he is the reigning champion by pinching fourth position on the last lap.

‘Walking wounded’ Neal wound up 11^th, before both drivers starred in race three. By dint of staying out of trouble and stealthily picking up places, Neal capped his weekend on a positive note with the runner-up spoils to retain the championship lead – very nearly snatching victory at the chequered flag.

Shedden was challenging for second when he found himself sent sideways by a tag from a BMW, and after regaining lost ground, he was then struck by a second BMW on the run down to the final chicane, spelling a premature end to his race. Heading next to Oulton Park on 4/5 June, Neal tops the Drivers’ table with Shedden in fifth. Halfords Yuasa Racing continues to lead the Teams’ Classification, with Honda second in the Manufacturers’ chase.

Matt Neal:

“It was certainly good to finish on a high – it makes the journey home a lot more enjoyable – although in truth, it was a weekend that had promised so much more and I was staring down the barrel of a gun until the last race! Thruxton has always been a Honda circuit, and we proved that again with the ballast on-board in qualifying. I was surprised by just how strong we were carrying so much weight in race one and the puncture was nobody’s fault – I was being super careful over the kerbs and the car was running like a dream. The Halfords Yuasa Racing boys did a stellar job to get us out again for race two in the nick of time – they had to deal with not just one but two cars in a million pieces – and then I was able to open the Civic Type R up again in race three and was flying at the end. I would never have thought I’d leave here still leading the championship after the first two races, so all’s well that ends well, as they say.”

Gordon Shedden:

“It’s been a mixed weekend. What happened in race one was so unfortunate – simply wrong place, wrong time – but the Halfords Yuasa Racing team put in a monumental effort to repair both cars so quickly and to fight back the way we did in race two was mega. The Honda Civic Type R was incredible, and to make up almost 20 places was a real result – if the race had run to its original length, we could probably have finished on the podium. I felt like a bit of a BMW pinball in race three, and being taken out through no fault of my own was a hugely disappointing way to finish the weekend – particularly when the car was so strong and we were in the mix for another rostrum, which would have kept us towards the top of the standings. Still, at least it means we’ll go to Oulton Park with less ballast, so the key will be to capitalise on that.”

10 per cent of accidents involved new 15 and 65-plate cars and happen within two months of ownership.

• 10 per cent of accidents involved new 15 and 65-plate cars
• 32 per cent of new car accidents happen within two month of ownership
• Estimated 196,000 minor and serious new car accidents
• New car accidents occur on 57^th day after registration on average

Nearly 10 per cent of all accidents over the last 12 months involved new 15 and 65-plate vehicles according to a study by Accident Exchange.

Accident prone buyers tended to prang their brand new pride and joy on the 57^th day after the car was first registered, when averaged out. Putting those cars back on the road is estimated to have cost nearly £402 million* in just 12 months.

  

In fact, 32 per cent of all 15 and 65-plate accidents happened within just two months of ownership.

The crash statistics recorded by the accident management firm occurred between March 2015 and the end of February 2016. With an estimated 2.2** million accidents – minor and serious – occurring annually, that implicates 196,000*** 2015-plate vehicles.

The average cost of accident repairs is £2,050, meaning all 15 and 65-plate crashes cost drivers and insurers £402 million. 

Scott Hamilton-Cooper, director of operations at Accident Exchange, commented: “Any accident is a traumatic and emotional experience for the driver and passengers, but this increases for those driving brand new vehicles usually costing a lot of money.

“Buying a new car is a big deal; the old adage that it’s the second largest purchase most people will make after a home still rings true.

“Whenever a driver reports a crash to us, we make sure they are back on the road as swiftly as possible and that their vehicle is repaired according to strict manufacturer approved guidelines. The vehicle should always be returned to factory finish condition for safety reasons and because it is someone’s pride and joy.”

Furthermore, historic research by Accident Exchange has found that up to 63% of motorists involved in an accident will purchase a new car within six months.

The study examined 35,800 incidents recorded by Accident Exchange between February 2015 and January 2016.

Foreign Lorry Drivers causing accidents on UK roads shows a significant increase since 2012.

• Foreign lorry accident analysis shows increase on 2012 figures
• Polish, German and Spanish HGVs most likely to be in an accident
• One in three collisions involving foreign lorries are on the motorway

Collisions on motorways involving foreign lorries have increased by 14%* since 2012, Accident Exchange statistics have revealed.Lorries from Poland and Germany were found to be the most accident-prone by some margin. 

Polish lorries represented 15.7% of accidents, while German vehicles followed with 13.1% of lorry collisions. HGVs from Spain were involved in 8.45% of incidents. 

Unsurprisingly perhaps, the M25** saw more foreign lorry accidents than any other road in the UK, followed by the M6 and the M1. City and town centre locations represented over a third of accidents.

The Accident Exchange figures indicate that nearly 1,100*** crashes involving foreign lorries took place on the UK’s motorway network in 2014; an increase of 14.3% since 2012. Across all road types, estimates put the number of foreign lorry incidents at 3,100 – or nearly nine per day.  

Usually considered the safest roads to travel on by car, a third**** of all foreign lorry accidents occur on motorways. Typically, just 4.3% of accidents take place on motorways.  

Liz Fisher, Director of Sales Development at Accident Exchange, said: “This worrying statistic shows that a collision with a foreign lorry is an increasingly real possibility.

“A heavy goods vehicle in unfamiliar territory can be a danger. Common types of accidents that might involve trucks are cars getting caught in the blind spot of a lorry that is changing lanes or cars being rear-ended by a much bigger, heavier vehicle. Both are equally as dangerous and we urge all motorists to drive with safety and vigilance in mind at all times.

“While safety is the paramount concern, getting involved in an accident with a vehicle from abroad can also lead to frustrating and difficult administrative complications.”

Foreign lorry motorway accidents top-10 countries

Country	Percentage (%) of total
Poland	15.73
Germany	13.15
Spain	8.45
France	6.10
Netherlands	6.10
Italy	5.40
Czech Republic	5.16
Hungary	4.69
Lithuania	4.46
Romania	4.46

Top-10 motorways for foreign lorry accidents

Road	Percentage (%)
M25	36.93
M6	15.12
M1	14.25
M40	5.83
M20	4.97
M4	3.02
M62	3.02
M11	2.16
M42	1.94
M5	1.73

Accident Exchange handled 110,000 collisions between 2012 and 2014 and found that the proportion of accidents involving foreign lorries on the motorway had increased to over one percent.

Accident Exchange, part of the Automotive & Insurance Solutions Group which also incorporates DCML and In-Car Cleverness, has commercial partnerships with 1,500 franchised dealerships across its suite of products. Last year Accident Exchange provided onward mobility to nearly 100,000 customers.