The category grading for written-off cars is set to change as categories D and C are ditched in favour of S and N.
The industry has taken a step in a completely different direction when it comes to classifying wehicles, too. The outgoing system has concentrated mainly on the cost of repair for the cars that have been involved in a crash. However, this latest change will see cars graded instead on the actual condition of the car.
Like the categories they replace, S and N rated cars will still be fixable and able to go back on the road. N vehicles will be classed as such by the insurer if it is uneconomical to repair, with the difference being that it hasn’t suffered any structural damage.
Categories A and B will remain the same, with an A level of write-off vehicles being the worst damaged and not salvageable. Category B is slightly milder with parts still being usable but the car itself not being allowed back onto the roads.
When buying a car it is very important to check firstly if the car you are looking at has been written off , and if so what category it falls under. S and N cars are still perfectly repairable, but never buy a car from A or B if you intend to drive it as these are structurally dangerous and beyond repair.
Category A cars are always destroyed but a Category B vehicle could have parts that are salvageable and occasionally the cars themselves somehow find their way back onto the road, something which is not only dangerous but illegal too.
This is why it is so important to check the car that you are buying thoroughly and also do some homework and check the car isn’t falsely advertised.
However, it is perfectly legal to buy and sell a category S or N write-off as these are repairable and often used car bargains.
If buyers are either mechanically minded or able to have the work professionally carried out then these cars can be factory fresh again and for a fraction of the price. Values will always decrease though and you have to legally declare it a write-off.
Speaking of the changes to write-off categorisation, senior policy adviser for motor and liability at the Association of British Insurers Ben Howarth told the Metro: ‘The changes are focused on making the UK’s roads safer, and ensuring that consumers have transparency about the history of vehicles they are considering buying.”
The new regulations are targeted at stopping the criminality that exists in selling unsuspecting members of the public cars that could become potential deathtraps, and are also illegal and therefore fraudulent.
The new insurance write-off categories will come into effect from October 1.
