Extend hours or lose customers

New research has emphasised the need for after-hours repair services, with nearly one in five collisions taking place during the rush hour. The data also predicts a surge in demand for bodyshop services during March.

The research from AX, a leading provider of accident assistance to the automotive trade, also revealed a 10-minute spike in winter prangs, bumps and scapes between 5pm and 5:10pm, highlighting the need for accident aftercare services after hours to help capture valuable bodyshop work during peak times.

This February already saw snow and ice cause chaos on Britain’s roads, and more is to be expected as March is second only to November as the busiest for car-to-car incidents. This March could see more than 193,000 road accidents take place, according to AX .

‘With the downward pressures on new car sales, being in a position to proactively and sensitively support existing customers in a time of need is common-sense,’ said Scott Hamilton-Cooper, sales and operations director at AX. ‘The March spike provides a timely reminder that dealers without an accident assistance programme not only stand to lose valuable repair work, but risk losing customers altogether.’

AX provides a class-leading suite of accident assistance services, as well as innovative connected devices, management software and intelligence designed to help dealers retain customers and improve satisfaction.

The analysis of over 57,000 vehicle accidents managed by AX on behalf of its automotive and insurance industry partners shows that the evening commute between 4pm and 6pm accounts for nearly a fifth of incidents on any given day. Almost one in six prangs happen in the 10-minute period starting at 5pm.

The afternoon school-run period between 2pm and 4pm was found to be the second-busiest period for accidents. Within the two-hour period, nearly-one-in five accidents took place between 3pm and 3:10pm – around the time most parents are rushing to pick up their children from school.

With 34% of accidents involving one car hitting the rear of another, a further 31% of incidents actually involve a moving car hitting a parked one as the driver loses control.

Scott said, ‘Braking distances double in the wet and can be up to 10 times longer in snowy or icy conditions, so it’s not surprising that almost a third of the accidents we’ve dealt with are the result of a driver losing control and hitting a parked vehicle. Workshops and bodyshops should make sure they are adequately stocked with spare parts and staffed well to deal with the surge in repair requests.’