The figures are based on 30,000 claims and indicate a reversal in the longer term trend for repair costs to concertina. In the last quarterly survey the difference between most and least expensive marque to repair was £307, but this time around the gap had widened to £341.

Among trends identified by VELO is the increasing cost of resolving accidents where no third party is involved. VELO is advising operators to identify those responsible and implement targeted risk management measures. The average cost of repairs per vehicle per month rose 4% to £37.01 between October 1997 and January 1998.