Ground Transport Group - The True Cost of a Car Accident: Why Repair Management Matters

In fleet operations, the terms “claims management” and “repair management” are often used interchangeably. However, they do each serve distinct purposes, and understanding the difference is crucial for businesses that want to minimise vehicle downtime, control costs, and prioritise service quality.

For fleet operators, insurers and businesses that rely on vehicles daily, the aftermath of an accident extends far beyond just repairing the damage, often stretching from operational disruption to financial losses. Because of this, the cost of a car accident affects multiple stakeholders across the board, and that is why having a robust repair management strategy is crucial.

Understanding The Stakeholder Impact

Multiple parties can feel the impact when a vehicle is involved in an accident, including:

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Fleet operators and businesses: who, for every day a vehicle is off the road, experience lost revenue, missed deliveries and operational inefficiencies, meaning that any downtime for them translates directly into business disruption and increased costs.
Insurers: whereby the longer a vehicle remains out of service, the higher the costs associated with hire vehicles, storage and administrative overheads can be, especially as poorly managed repairs can inflate claims costs and increase long-term exposure.
Repairers: whereby unstructured repair processes lead to delays, inefficiencies, and cost disputes.
And both drivers and end customers: whereby any delays in repair management impact driver productivity and customer satisfaction, with extended repair times also leading to frustrated customers.

The Cost of Poor Repair Management

A disorganised approach to accident repairs leads to unnecessary expenses, extended vehicle downtime and administrative headaches, with key cost implications often including:

Extended downtime costs: where every additional day off the road increases operational expenses, replacement vehicle costs and lost productivity.
Inflated repair costs: whereby without proper oversight, repair costs can escalate due to unnecessary add-ons, unvetted labour rates and inefficient repair routes.
Higher insurance premiums: whereby poor cost control in accident repairs can contribute to higher claims costs, which can ultimately drive up premiums for businesses.
And reputational damage: where delays in returning vehicles to service can lead to service failures, dissatisfied customers, and damage to brand reputation.

Why Does a Repair-Focused Approach Work?

Rather than getting caught up in lengthy claims processes, a repair-first strategy ensures that vehicles are repaired quickly, safely, and cost-effectively. By taking this approach, results can include:

Minimised downtime: whereby streamlining the repair process, vehicles can return to service faster and reduce operational disruptions.
Controlled costs: whereby transparent cost management can ensure repairs remain necessary and justified, avoiding inflated expenses.
Enhanced service quality: whereby a structured repair management process can maintain high repair standards to ensure safety and longevity.
And improved stakeholder communications: whereby real-time tracking and regular updates can keep businesses, insurers and drivers informed to improve overall satisfaction and keep communication lines open between all stakeholders.

Smarter Repair Management: A Proven Approach

A strong repair management strategy relies on efficiency, cost control, and service excellence to keep businesses moving without unnecessary delays. That’s why our business leans on its nationwide network of over 200 independent, strategically placed repairers across the UK, ensuring swift and seamless vehicle recovery.

We are proud of our skilled experts, who specialise in repairing cars, HGVs, and commercial vehicles, with 84% EV/hybrid capability—meeting the demands of an evolving transport landscape.

Our motivation is cost-controlled repairs, with transparent pricing and real-time tracking preventing inflated costs and unnecessary delays. To provide further clarity, our detailed MI reporting offers full transparency into repair costs and performance, giving businesses the insight needed to make informed decisions.

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What we can do is provide proven cost savings, with partners benefiting from an average vehicle repair cost of £1,716 in 2023. These are just some of the many reasons why our business offers the support and value needed to keep fleets on the road.

We’re An Industry Leader, Working with Industry Leaders

For over 14 years, we have worked with insurers, brokers, corporate fleets, and third-party administrators to deliver repair management solutions that put vehicle uptime first. With our unique set of skills, we’re able to empower our partners to forecast and reserve accurately, maintaining control of all costs by reducing exposure to third parties, and improving profitability.

In fact, in 2023 alone we managed over £25M of repair costs across more than 23,000 vehicle repairs, and our services are so vast that partners recorded an average vehicle repair cost of £1,716 when using the CVS network.

Because of this, it’s no wonder industry leaders such as Tesla choose us as their manufacturer approver, but arguably, the most crucial factor in choosing us because we’re not a claims management firm, meaning we don’t get bogged down in credit hire, liability disputes or lengthy claims processes. Instead, we focus on what matters most; making sure vehicles are repaired properly, efficiently, and cost-effectively.

With our expertise, partners can trust that repairs are managed seamlessly, allowing them to focus on their core business while we take care of the details.