Rating every vehicle for safety, security and sustainable repair

Cars have undergone significant changes in recent years. Innovations such as electric powertrains, software-defined features, and new manufacturing techniques, like mega-casting, have forced insurers to change the way they assess risk.

In September 2024, Thatcham Research introduced the Vehicle Risk Rating (VRR) system to keep pace with these advancements in vehicle technology. The VRR system was designed to offer detailed risk intelligence, resulting in more than 9.5 billion unique risk rating combinations.

The traditional Group Ratings system, which has been in place for 25 years and assigns ratings from 1 to 50, lacks the details needed to evaluate the complex features of today's vehicles.

The new system scores vehicles across five key areas: Damage, Repair, Safety, Security, and Performance.

Who benefits from the Vehicle Risk Rating (VRR) system?
Drivers benefit from VRR thanks to fairer premiums that more accurately reflect the risk profile of their vehicle. 

UK insurers gain access to more accurate data for underwriting and pricing motor insurance premiums.

Vehicle manufacturers gain understanding into how they can make choices on structure, materials, and repair strategy to influence overall cost of ownership. 
Drivers benefit from VRR thanks to fairer premiums that more accurately reflect the risk profile of their vehicle. 

Enhanced safety and security performances also lead to safer roads and reduced exposure to theft, and improved repairability leads to faster key to key times and fewer unnecessary write-offs.

How does the Vehicle Risk Rating (VRR) system work?
Thatcham Research developed the VRR system over 18 months in collaboration with UK insurers to establish a framework that scores vehicles from 1 (lowest risk) to 99 (highest risk) across Damage, Repair, Safety, Security, and Performance.

Damage focuses on how a vehicle’s design, materials, and structural layout affect the extent of damage sustained in a collision. With evolving techniques, such as mega-casting, repair severity has become increasingly varied. VRR allows manufacturers to understand how their design choices influence not only repair cost but the avoidable loss of repairable vehicles to salvage.

Repair examines the accessibility and clarity of repair methods, parts availability, and the practical effort required to return a vehicle to pre-accident condition. This directly supports sustainability by encouraging designs that minimise waste, reduce vehicle write-offs, and shorten repair cycle times. Prioritising repairability is essential for keeping vehicles on the road and ensuring the UK repair sector can operate efficiently amidst growing technical demands.

Safety evaluates both active and passive systems, ensuring that even as vehicles become more technologically advanced, basic safety performance and system reliability remain core considerations. These assessments are also used to support initiatives such as the What Car? Safety Award.

Security stems from Thatcham Research’s New Vehicle Security Assessment, an internationally recognised and understood measure of systems and technology implemented to protect vehicles from theft and unauthorised access, considering both physical anti-theft devices and digital security protocols. 

Performance considers how a vehicle’s powertrain may influence the likelihood of a crash. As vehicles become more powerful and responsive, even at lower price points, there is a greater need to recognise how performance links to accident risk.

Group Rating scores were fixed at the launch of a new vehicle, while VRR updates occur as Thatcham Research gathers new data. When trends in claims are detected, new technologies are implemented, or manufacturers and repairers provide  feedback, the risk scores are adjusted accordingly.

Thatcham’s role in the What Car? Safety Award
As part of a wider commitment to advocating for automotive safety, Thatcham Research is once again sponsoring the What Car? Safety Award, recognising the safest vehicles available for purchase in the UK. 

VRR safety scores contributed to the Thatcham Research expert assessments alongside rigorous evaluations of active and passive safety performance. The 2026 award results will be announced in January.

To learn more about Thatcham Research’s Vehicle Risk Rating system, visit: https://www.thatcham.org/pf/vehicle-risk-rating/