When it comes to cars, a lot has changed in 30 years. But some driving fundamentals haven’t changed in decades, like the importance of safety. We mark the 30-year anniversary of the annual AAMI Crash Index by speaking with three long-tenured motor claims team members about the significant changes they have seen during their time in the motor industry.
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This year marks the 30-year anniversary of the annual AAMI Crash Index - 30 years of collecting and analysing motor claims data to help educate and inform safer driving behaviour.
This year’s Index is a special edition including a ‘Decade of Driving’ report which examines 10 years of recorded claims data (more than 4.3 million motor claims) to uncover driving trends and insights from each Australian state, including the most notorious crash hotspots, the most common type of accident, and worst time of day for collisions.
To acknowledge the Index’s 30-year milestone, we spoke to three motor claims team members – Elise Bourne, Brett Moore and Tony Tuohy – who have been at the forefront of changing industry trends and vehicle technologies.
Together they have more than 100 years combined experience in supporting drivers with their motor claims. We asked them about what’s changed in car technology and motor claims, what has stayed the same, and why leading insurers like AAMI are the nations’ experts at getting customers back safely on the road.
Meet three long-tenured Suncorp motor claims team members:
1. Elise Bourne – Team Leader Motor Major Loss. 35 years with Suncorp
2. Brett Moore – Recoveries & Settlements Officer. 35 years with Suncorp
3. Tony Tuohy – Technical Assessing Trainer Motor Claims Performance. 31 years with Suncorp
Reflections on over 30 years of helping Australian car owners.
For Mr Moore, one of the biggest changes he has seen in the past 30 years is the way we process claims.
He remembers the ‘early days’ in AAMI motor claims, long before multi-connected digital screens and platforms.
“Early in my career, when I was working in Hobart, I remember we had to literally walk down the road to the traffic lights, and exchange cheques with RACT (Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania),” he said.
Recoveries & Settlements Officer Brett Moore
We said ‘let’s meet in 20 minutes at the lights’ and we’d exchange the cheque, which in those days was handwritten or typed up by reception.
“Then we’d walk up to the bank and deposit that cheque.”
Similarly, Ms Bourne and Mr Tuohy spoke about the rapid changes in car technology that had amazed them over the years.
“When I first started working in the ‘80s, cars didn't have reverse cameras, or any of the modern technology they have these days. Everything back then was manual,” Ms Bourne said.
Mr Touhy’s role as a trainer of motor claims assessors means he has had to stay abreast of changing car technology and design.
"The assessors we have trained over time have hopefully gained a better understanding of the major changes in car design and what must be done to correctly repair them,” he said.
Looking back 30 years to 1994, Mr Touhy said there have been significant changes in car technology that positively impacted driver safety. He explained that ‘back then’ the car kept you in your seat, ‘today’ the car actively avoids the incident altogether or greatly minimises the severity and the effect on its occupants.
Mr Touhy spoke about three significant changes to car design he’s observed:
1. The use of AHSS (Advanced High Strength Steels). The mild steel used 30 years ago has evolved into a variety of more complex steel types and strengths which both minimises weight while adding a significant amount of strength where required.
2. SRS or Supplementary Restraint Systems (airbags and seats belts)
3. Introduction and an ongoing increase in ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) in modern vehicles.
Technical Assessing Trainer Motor Claims Performance Tony Tuohy
30 years ago, safety pretty much relied upon an alert driver and seatbelts.
“But by 2024, occupant safety has come a long way. New cars can brake and steer when needed and read objects and speed limit signs. They can match the speed of the car in front and may remind you to keep both hands on the wheel.
“The main benefit I’ve seen from the technology gains is that some accidents caused by human error will be reduced because the modern car will intervene.”
An unchanged commitment to exceptional customer service, enhanced by customer-centric technology.
All three of our motor claims team members proudly spoke about how AAMI, and Suncorp, has always put the customer first – a commitment that is unchanged over the decades.
“As a Team Leader, I coach and develop my people to be able to provide an exceptional customer service to our customers,” Ms Bourne said.
However, they agreed that changes in technology have further enhanced their focus on customer experience.
Team Leader Motor Major Loss Elise Bourne
Technology has always been at the forefront of our engagement with customers.
"AAMI developed the Driver Rewards app, so we can make things easier for the customer, and hopefully encourage safer driving behaviour too," Ms Bourne said.
AAMI Driver Rewards (ADR) is embedded in the AAMI mobile app and uses telematics, cloud, personalisation, mobile sensors, AI and data to help users ‘keep score’ and improve their driving behaviours and awareness.
The latest AAMI Crash Index ‘Decade of Driving’ report stated that since the app’s launch in 2022, data captured found 39 per cent of drivers gradually improved their safe driving score, while more than half (52%) who had low driving scores (below 85/100) when they started ended up improving their score, showing that regular use of the app made them safer drivers.
The basics on the road remain the same – drive safely and carefully.
Our three motor claims employees said working in motor claims for more than 30 years has made them more aware of some of the dangers that are on the roads, and how easy accidents can happen.
The ‘Decade of Driving’ report confirmed this in the data – nose-to-tail crashes are the most common type of crash and reveal a tendency to be impatient and distracted while behind the wheel, as well as tailgate. AAMI’s data also found Aussies often fail to give-way, indicating when we get behind the wheel, we’re a little impatient, in a rush, or aren’t fully concentrating on the task at hand.
As Ms Bourne advised: “As much as you might think that you are a great driver, you must remember there are other people on the road who may not be, so you need to always be aware of what's happening around you.”
