Three teams headed to Ankara, Turkey this month to compete in Bumper’s annual hackathon. 

Racing against the clock, members of our development, product, design, and sales teams were split into three groups. They were tasked with creating a new feature to add to Bumper’s existing product offering. 

Over the course of just two days, the teams had to take their features from an initial concept into a fully workable feature. Teams were judged in five key areas: quality of code, user experience, commerciality, presentation, and inspiration. 

Matt Williams, Bumper’s Chief Growth Officer, headed up the winning team. He said, ‘Our annual hackathon is an opportunity for members of different departments to come together and focus on one project. The result is something really quite incredible. 

‘Last year our winning team created the ability for service advisors to see their customers’ reviews directly on their Bumper dashboard, adding immense value for our partnered garages and dealerships.

‘This year we’ve gone a lot bigger, looking at ways to improve the experience of the end user. The final product we’ve created is going to have a massive impact on the way our customer base can interact with us and we’re all incredibly excited to get it out there.’ 

Following the team’s win in Ankara, the new feature will go through several rounds of meticulous user testing before its release.

Three Bumper Teams Battle It Out for Hackathon Crown

It’s with great pleasure that we announce the Dealership of the Month for October goes to John Clark Audi Aberdeen. 

The team won the award for their quick adoption of Bumper’s open banking payment option – PayByBank.

The new payment option allows customers to make one-off, account-to-account payments directly from their mobile devices. Requiring the use of authentication within the customer’s banking app, Open banking significantly reduces the risk of fraud for the dealer and avoids high processing fees often associated with cards issued by third parties. 

Open banking now sits alongside PayLater and PayNow, allowing Audi Aberdeen to offer a broad range of payment products no matter the customer’s needs.

Bumper’s Ricardo Fishbourne delivered the award to the winning site. He said, ‘A big congratulations to the team at John Clark Audi Aberdeen. The team have successfully integrated open banking into their everyday process, giving customers even greater payment flexibility than before.

‘Customers are looking for smarter, digital alternatives to card and the team here have really taken that on board, starting to work open banking into their everyday conversations with customers. They’ve proved themselves to have an incredible knowledge of our products, which is key when introducing a new payment option such as open banking.’

Mark Duncan, Sales Manager at Audi Aberdeen, said, ‘Open banking has really helped us receive payments from customers in a more efficient and cost-effective manner. We like how simple it is to use and our customers also appreciate its ease of use once we’ve explained it to them. Open banking is helping us reduce merchant costs on our transactions as traditional credit and debit cards carry a much higher processing cost compared to Open banking’.

Congratulations to Keith, Mark, Evelyne, Andrew, Jennifer, Juli, David and the whole team at John Clark Audi Aberdeen!

Dealership of the Month: John Clark Audi Aberdeen

The majority of energy consumed in Morocco is created by fossil fuels, with around 57% coming from oil, and 33% from coal. In 2021, solar energy in the country accounted for less than 2% of the overall energy mix. With such substantial solar and wind power potential, Morocco has been actively developing renewable energy sources to meet the growing demand.

The Ouarzazate solar power station is one such project looking to capitalise on the country’s solar power potential. One of the world’s largest concentrated solar projects, this huge facility uses concave mirrors to concentrate solar energy and generates 582 megawatts of electricity. 

The site can store up to 7 hours of solar energy for continuous power supply after sunset.

The chosen region for the project benefits from exceptionally high sunlight year-round, giving the power station a unique advantage for solar energy generation.

In addition to a new source of renewable energy, the project has had a big impact on local communities. 7,000 local job opportunities have been created as well as educational initiatives and skills training.

A mobile hospital to provide health services to the local community has been set up, and funding is given to the local medical centre, including an ultrasound machine.

Additionally, the project has helped the local community by providing a minibus, which has lowered the local school dropout rate. 

Through our partnership with Ecologi, Bumper contributes to lots of climate-positive projects throughout the world. To find out more about how Bumper gives back to our community head to our 

Ecologi Project: Renewable Energy Solutions in Morocco 

Each year, tens of thousands of people in the UK are involved in car accidents. But how likely is a car accident, and is one car safer than another? What steps can you take to ensure your safety on the road? 

Understanding these statistics is crucial for staying safe and shaping policies. Let's explore key car accident and road safety questions and statistics and how you can protect yourself.

1. What are the odds of being in a car accident in the UK? 

0.21% of the UK population were involved in a car accident

. There were 143,326 injuries caused by car accidents in the UK, according to the 2022 

There are plenty of different causes of car accidents. However, three are more common than others: 

3. Not looking properly is the leading cause of UK car accidents

 drivers failing to look correctly causes around 37.8% of UK accidents. This includes car drivers and motorcyclists. 

Of the 143,326 injuries, only 1,766 car accident casualties were fatal. This means the chance of dying in a car accident on your daily drive is extremely low, far 

5. Someone is killed or injured every 16 minutes on UK roads

, in the UK, a person is killed or seriously injured by a car crash every 16 minutes.

6. How many people die per day from car accidents in the UK?

 five people die per day due to car crashes. A further 82 are also seriously injured. 

7. What are the odds of dying in a car crash without a seatbelt? 

Soberingly, 21% of car accident deaths occur in cars where the driver or passenger isn’t wearing a seatbelt. Please, always wear your seatbelt. 

Fortunately, seat belt usage is increasing. Gov UK found that 

of all front and rear seat passengers wear seatbelts.

8. How does the UK car crash death rate measure up to other European countries?

The UK has the fourth lowest car crash death rate per million people compared to 32 other European countries 

Which country is the lowest? Norway has the lowest rate with 21 deaths per million people.

9. How many alcohol-related car crashes are there? 

Alcohol has and likely always will be one of the leading causes of car accidents. 

According to the official UK Government data, around 5% of all car accidents involve at least one driver or passenger over the legal alcohol limit. 

Although the number of fatal car accidents in Great Britain is low, of those, in 2020, 

between 200 and 240 people were killed, and at least one driver was over the legal alcohol limit

10. How are drink-drive crashes categorised?

 defines a drink-drive accident as an incident on a public road where one of these three criteria are met:

11. Are car accidents more likely in winter? 

Summer is known to be the most likely season for car accidents, but it’s not down to weather or poor driving conditions. Instead, it’s because far more people are out on the road. 

More people driving equals more crashes, which is the same reason why fatal car accidents went down by 

12. Does weather or temperature affect car crashes?

 can increase the likelihood of crashes in the UK. This is because more vulnerable drivers are on the roads in warmer weather and summer months, leading to a higher exposure to accidents. 

13. Does speeding increase the likelihood of a crash? 

Speeding is the number one cause of car accidents worldwide.

When you’re speeding, you decrease your reaction time as well as increase the stopping distance, so the likelihood of an accident sharply increases. Put simply, it’s a lot more difficult to avoid an obstacle if you are over the speed limit. 

Always obey speed limits, they are there for your and everyone else’s safety. 

14. How many hit-and-runs happen in the UK?

A hit-and-run is an incident when the vehicle doesn’t stop after a car crash. 

 since 2011. The boroughs with the highest rates include Merton and Wandsworth. 

Overall, drivers fail to stop in one out of every five crashes. 

15. Who is statistically more likely to be in a car crash? 

Statistics show that there are different factors at play when it comes to who is most likely to be involved in a car accident. Here’s a quick breakdown of the main ones: 

16. What age group is most likely to be involved in a crash in the UK? 

Young male drivers under 25 are four times more likely to be involved in a car accident than drivers aged 25 or over. 

Worryingly, young car drivers account for a quarter of drivers killed in reported drink-driving accidents despite only representing 

17. Are men or women more likely to crash? 

Men are more likely to experience a casualty from driving, with 62% of all car-related injuries being male. Sadly, 78% of all car fatalities are male, according to the 

18. Which make of car has the most accidents? 

Did you know that the Toyota Prius is the 

, with 1,207 crashes for every 100,000 Toyota Priuses on the road?

If you’re looking for a safe vehicle, then you might want to consider an Audi. Audis account for the least number of accidents in the UK per 10,000 cars, according to the 

20. Which is more dangerous - motorbikes or cars? 

 to be killed in an accident than a car driver. Motorbikes are inherently more dangerous than cars on the road. So, if you’re thinking about driving a bike, think twice. 

21. What’s the most dangerous car colour? 

Research from carVertical showed that brown cars were the likeliest to have been in an accident, with 51% of vehicles on their platform having been involved in one. Oddly, yellow was the second riskiest colour, with 50.6%, and red came in third with 49.8%. 

 are white and grey, with only 44% of collisions involving these colours. 

 found that car crashes affected four main groups: pedestrians, car occupants, pedal cyclists, and motorcyclists. Here's how the data breaks down

Motorcycle accidents have decreased 40% from 2004 to 2022, and serious injuries have decreased by 30%. 

However, from 2018 to 2022, an average of 

104 motorcyclists were seriously injured, and six died per week

. Nearly half of the fatalities were in 2 vehicle collisions between the motorbike and a car. 

The most common reason for motorcycle accidents in the UK is the driver or rider failing to look properly. So, when driving, always look once, look twice, and think bike. 

Curious about car accidents outside the UK? Here are some 

 from the World Health Organization’s Road Traffic Injuries fact sheet.

24. How Many Car Crashes Are There A Year?

1.19 million people worldwide are killed by car accidents, and a further 20 to 50 million are affected by non-fatal injuries and disabilities). 

25. 92% of car crashes happen in low- and middle-income countries 

Middle- and low-income countries see the majority of car accidents, even though they only have around 60% of the world’s vehicles. 

26. Car crashes cost countries 3% of their GDP 

Yes, you read that right. Car crashes and accidents cause so much damage that they cost each country approximately 3% of its gross domestic product (GDP). 

27. Crash injuries are the leading cause of death for children and young adults 

Across the world, car crashes are the main cause of death for children and young adults between the years of 5 to 29. 

28. The United Nations General Assembly has set a target to half crash injuries by 2030 

In June 2022, the General Assembly set a target to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by at least 

29. Are ride-sharing apps more likely to cause accidents? 

With the rise of ride-sharing apps (e.g. Uber and Bolt), more of us are using taxis than ever before. But has this increase in usage caused more accidents? 

No! A Study from the University of Oxford found that 

Uber is connected with a 9% decline in UK

Regardless of your age or what car you happen to be driving, the number one factor that influences the likelihood of an accident is your own behaviour behind the wheel. 

Following the UK car crash statistics, let’s look at how you can protect yourself on the road. 

UK Car Accident Statistics - Final Thoughts 

After reading all these car accident statistics, we hope you feel assured that the chances of a serious car accident are extremely low. However, if you find yourself in a car accident and need car repairs, you might want to consider 

, you can spread the cost of any repairs at no extra cost. Apply for a credit limit and find a reliable service partner today. 

Vital Car Accident Statistics All Drivers Should Know

Estadísticas clave sobre los accidentes de tráfico en España

Wichtige Unfallstatistiken, die jeder Fahrer kennen sollte

We’ve always been told the end is nigh. But how will it happen? Cataclysmic asteroid? A wandering black hole? Killer robots sent from the future to destroy the Earth?

Obviously not! It’ll be a zombie apocalypse of course.

But what will our streets, towns and cars look like when the time finally comes? Using AI, we’ve been able to answer just that. Here’s the world you’ll be left with when the flesh-eaters finally take over.

As the virus sweeps across the country, many will flee towns and cities leaving them completely abandoned.

It may seem like a good idea to flee via motorways but with traffic beginning to get worse in the panic, many vehicles will be ditched as the horde approaches.

That’s if you can even get your car out. Why would they park like that in the first place? Flippin’ heck.

As you can see here, UK town centres will become dark and depressing places. Much like they were before the apocalypse.

Houses will be left empty, with fleeing families having hardly any time to gather their worldly possessions.

London will be filled with mindless zombies roaming the streets; scarcely interacting with each other. A lot like your morning commute is today.

As public transport completely shuts down and the streets become quiet you begin to ask yourself, what’s the point in survival if you’re not truly living? Still, at least it means no more tram journeys in the armpit of a stranger.

Many will take to the countryside in search of safety. 

Diesel and petrol will become a scarce commodity. Plus, pay at the pump will probably be down so you’ll need to go in and actually interact with the staff at the garage. Creepy stuff. 

Your new life is a far cry from your old one. Constantly on the run; driving from town to town to escape the undead. You pray daily your car will make it as far as the next stop necessary for survival. Maybe they were right. Maybe you did need that extended warranty after all. 

What would our streets, towns and cars look like after a zombie apocalypse?

We’re incredibly pleased to announce the winner of the Dealership of the Month for September 2023 is Rybrook BMW and MINI Wolverhampton. 

The BMW and MINI team have won the award following their strongest ever month since joining the Bumper network - 49 customers drove away with their bills split into manageable monthly payments in September alone. This record month solidified the site as the top performer in the Rybrook BMW network. 

Trustpilot reviews from mutual Rybrook-Bumper customers applauded the partnership with one customer describing the application process as a ‘very good experience’. Another celebrated the Bumper system, stating, ‘Very easy to set up and a nice surprise when BMW told me I could pay for my service interest-free over 4 months. Great service from Bumper!’ 

In addition to improved customer satisfaction, the implementation of Bumper’s PayLater product into their aftersales process has seen an increase in their red work conversion, labour rate and recovery rate. 

Bumper’s Islay Horton visited the site to hand over the award. ‘I’m really pleased to see Rybrook BMW and MINI Wolverhampton recognised for their fantastic achievement’, said Islay. ‘After implementing PayLater into their everyday conversations with customers the site has seen a huge increase in positive customer feedback and a strong improvement in their KPIs.’ 

Congratulations to Mohammed, Sureena, Kelly, Simon and the whole team at BMW and MINI Wolverhampton!

Rybrook BMW and MINI Wolverhampton Win Dealership of the Month 

Passing your test is an amazing feeling, offering the freedom to explore the country without supervision.

However, new drivers often face high insurance costs due to their lack of experience. To minimise expenses, choose a car with a low insurance rating, which leads to lower premiums. 

Below, we've listed 8 of the cheapest cars to insure for new drivers to help you get on the road without spending a fortune.

If you’re under 20 years old, insurance companies will penalise you even more for your lack of experience. The cars below are perfect for travelling to and from college or school and road trips with friends. 

We’ve also listed some guideline insurance prices based on a 17-year-old driving while living at home with parents. Remember that your insurance quotes will vary greatly depending on personal circumstances. 

Here are some of the cheapest cars to insure for 17-year-olds and young drivers:

1. Ford Fiesta - Group 2 - £1,500 per year

One of the most common first cars and cars for young people, the Ford Fiesta is a legendary supermini, been produced since 1976 right up until 2023, there’s been plenty of innovation, changes and improvements over the years. 

For a great used bargain, check out the Mark 6 model; years 2008 - 2016, which came with cruise control, electric windows and A/C on the mid-range to high-end models such as Titanium. 

2. Renault Twingo - Group 2 - £1,450 per year

Renault excels at making small city cars, and the Twingo was their smallest car in production for a long period. Designed to be made for people who need slightly less space than the Clio, its clever packaging and design meant it actually had almost as much interior passenger space as one. 

Because of its small engine, high safety rating and low cost, the insurance group is only level 2, meaning it's very cheap to insure, and will help bring the price of new driver insurance down. 

3. Vauxhall Corsa - Group 2 - £1,470 per year 

The Corsa is another young driver favourite and has been since its release in 1993, this is due to its compact size and low maintenance and running costs. The new Corsa is no different but is no longer the smallest car in the Vauxhall lineup. 

If you’re lucky enough to be buying a new car for your first one, Vauxhall offers great zero percent interest deals, and the cars come fully loaded with Apple CarPlay, cruise control and more. 

Even though it’s built on the same platform as the VW Up!, surprisingly the Mii is cheaper to insure. This may be because the insurance groupings are based on risk and statistics rather than just car type. 

Subjectively, the Mii does have better styling and a better-designed interior, which is another reason to opt for it over the VW Up! It also comes with more equipment as standard such as 16” alloys, and a DAB radio playing through a 6-speaker sound system. 

5. Volkswagen Polo - Group 1 - £1,250 per year

The Volkswagen Polo is a perfect pick if you want a small car with high ratings. It’s also pretty cheap to insure, meaning you can zip from A to B in a popular car without high costs. 

Polos with 1.0-litre engines fit into Group 1 insurance classifications — the lowest group. So, make sure you’re looking at 1L variants before you purchase. Other perks of a Polo include a big boot, space for four adults, internal soundproofing, and lots of comforts.

6. Hyundai i10 - Group 1 - £750 per year

If you’re really keen to get a good price, a Hyundai i10 is another excellent choice. This car fits into the Group 1 insurance bracket, and you can get deals where you only have to pay £750 per year. Awesome. 

This car is often overlooked as it’s not the most trendy. However, with a high-quality interior, a five-year warranty, and plenty of space, it’s worth considering. Only the 1.0-litre engine version qualifies for Group 1 insurance. This is slower but fine if you drive mainly around towns or cities. 

7. Kia Picanto - Group 1 - £800 per year

Another Group 1 option, the Kia Picanto, can be insured for as little as £800 per year. It’s another small car without any high-tech extras, but it’s ideal for those who have just passed their tests. 

Though the Picanto is small, there’s enough cabin and boot space for comfortable driving experiences. The interior is also surprisingly high-quality compared to the price. You even get a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty, meaning you’ll be covered for longer than the Hyundai i10.

8. Volkswagen Up! - Group 1 - £900 per year

Volkswagen is a fantastic choice for new drivers, not only with the Polo but also the Up. With a 1L engine, this minimalist model comfortably sits into Group 1 and saves you money. Of course, a 1L engine isn’t fast, but this is a compromise you might have to make for cheaper insurance!

The Up has a surprising amount of room, including a generous boot. Pair that with a smooth drive and a more attractive look, and you’ve got a strong contender for a first car.

Cheap Cars to Insure for Older First-Time Drivers

Even though many people learn to drive as soon as possible, at age 17 or 18, we know that it’s not always possible or required for some people until later in life. Therefore, we’ve also compiled a list of ideal first cars for older drivers, who may need space for families and work duties. 

These would also be great for foreign nationals who’ve recently moved to the UK, as insurance costs for expats can be considerably higher. 

Here are the lowest insurance cars for new drivers:

1. Skoda Octavia - Group 13 - £1,150 per year 

 popular saloon or estate car is a good choice for those looking for low insurance. The relatively low power but great safety features mean the insurers don’t deem them a high-risk vehicle. 

Perfect for a family, they have plenty of room for 4 people and luggage, the estate being ideal for carrying a dog, bikes or just doing tip runs. The infotainment is up there with the sister car, the Volkswagen Passat, but at a lower price point. 

2. Kia Sorento - Group 12 - £1,070 per year

Whilst the 2.2 diesel Sorento doesn't have the smallest of engines, its low insurance group means it's still relatively economical to insure. The SUV platform would suit someone who prefers a high driving position too. 

Kias have become a great choice for those wanting peace of mind too, with their 7-year warranty as standard, and reputable dealer network. 

3. Mazda 6 Estate - Group 16 - £1,320 per year

Another roomy estate, the Mazda 6 is a slightly bigger offering than the Octavia but is still in a low insurance group - meaning affordable cover. The boot is cavernous at over 520 litres, and the 2.2 diesel engine has plenty of grunt too. 

We think the Mazda interiors of recent years are some of the most stylish out there, easily competing with the harsh lines of VW and BMW interiors, and being more subtle than Mercedes. 

4. Vauxhall Combo Life XL - Group 12 - £1,240 per year

If practicality is your main concern, a car based on a van would probably be ideal. The Combo Life is just that, with 7 spacious seats and windows in what was a Combo Van floor plan and drivetrain. 

A clever folding mechanism and the removal of the rear row of seats result in an enormous amount of space, perfect for hauling furniture, pets or other large items. The Combo Life comes well equipped too, with a touchscreen navigation system as standard, with a DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity. 

At first, the Seat Ibiza looks like it should be in the first half of the list. It’s a smaller car with a lower-power engine that may suit some younger drivers. However, it’s also great for older drivers who don’t need a larger vehicle or extra power. 

The Seat Ibiza is in insurance Group 2, so it has very affordable costs. It also has a stylish look, plenty of space for passengers, and a touchscreen infotainment system with the possibility of full smartphone integration. Don’t skip this option if you’re a city or town driver!

Other Ways New UK Drivers Can Lower Their Insurance Costs

Alongside looking for the cheapest car to insure for 17-year-old, here are some additional ways to secure affordable insurance.

The Conclusion On Cars For First-Time Drivers With Cheap Insurance

Navigating high insurance costs can take the excitement out of passing your test — but it doesn’t have to be doom and gloom. Hopefully, this blog has inspired you and helped you find your first car. 

For more tips on how to get cheaper car insurance check out our guide 

Cheap Cars To Insure For New Drivers: Young And Old

This month's Dealership of the Month award goes to Chiswick Honda & MG, part of the Norton Way Group. 

Having recently gone live with Bumper’s PayLater and PayNow solutions, the Chiswick team have won the award for their instant adoption of these payment methods into their process across the business. 

Regional Account Manager Jack McHale said, “I’m delighted to hand the award to the dealership. Their win is a recognition of a shared performance with both the sales and aftersales departments utilising Bumper to benefit their customers with a choice of payment options. 

“The teams have integrated Bumper into their daily conversations with customers following their training and recent launch. The feedback from the customers, service advisors, and sales execs has been great; with them all stating the ease of use as a key reason for its rapid uptake and success”. 

Congratulations to William, Tracy, Elliott and the whole team at Chiswick Honda & MG. 

Alastair Shephard

Content Writer