Car insurance premiums in record rise, says ABI
车险费用又涨了？背后原因究竟是什么
一直在获利的保险行业从未给那些在事故中受伤严重的人支付适当的赔偿费用。
Motorists are being saddled with the fastest year-on-year rise in insurance premiums since records began five years ago, the industry has warned.
业内人士警告称，5年以来，汽车司机的保费同比增长最快。
Average car insurance premiums have gone up by 11% in the last year, according to the Association of British Insurers (ABI).
根据英国保险协会(ABI)的数据，去年汽车保险的平均保费上升了11%。
The typical bill for an annual policy is now 484 pounds, it said.
根据政策，现在保费是484英镑。
It’s the second such warning this month, after the ABI said premiums hit a record high earlier in July.
这是本月第二次的发布警告信号，此前英国保险协会表示，7月份保费收入创下历史新高。
The news will put further pressure on the government to change its decision to reduce the so-called discount rate, which increased the size of insurance pay-outs.
这也向政府施加了不小的压力，要求其下调贴现率，即提高保险赔付的力度。
The ABI blames the increase in premiums on that decision, as well as the latest rise in insurance premium tax. That went up from 10% to 12% on 1 June.
英国保险协会将这一决定归咎于保费的增加，以及保险附加税的上涨。6月1日，这一比例从10%上升到12%。
But personal injury lawyers have hit back - saying the insurance industry has been quietly reaping profits, while failing to pay proper compensation to those seriously injured in accidents.
但负责个人受伤案件的律师们回击称，保险行业一直在获利，从未给那些在事故中受伤严重的人支付适当的赔偿费用。
The ABI is calling on the government to introduce a new system for calculating compensation payments. The Ministry of Justice has already consulted on a replacement system, but hasn’t yet announced its decision.
英国保险协会呼吁政府引入一套新的补偿支付系统。司法部已经在考虑一套新的系统，但还没有正式宣布决定。
"This dramatic increase drives home how important it is the government press ahead with a new framework for the discount rate and call a stop to further hikes in insurance premium tax," said Huw Evans, director general of the ABI.
英国保险协会的处长Huw Evans说:“快速的增长凸显了政府推出新的贴现率的重要性，民众希望不要再提高保险附加税。”
"Most younger and older drivers are likely to face increases even higher than this, hurting people who can least afford it," he said.
他说:“最年轻和最年长的司机实际上面对的税率可能更高，这对那些最可能负担不起的人来说确实是一种伤害。”
But personal injury lawyers have accused the industry of under-paying accident victims before the rules were changed.
负责个人受伤案件的律师表示，在规基本则发生改变之前，保险公司不会支付本应支付的费用。
"During this time insurers quietly reaped the financial benefits of not having to pay what they owe to people with life-long, life-changing injuries," said Brett Dixon, president of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers.
“在这段时间里，保险公司悄然获利，他们欠那些受伤者的钱从来不还，”律师协会主席Brett Dixon说。
"Yet the insurance industry has been vociferous in blaming the correction for rising motor premiums. It is scandalous that the blame for the mismanagement of the discount rate is being put at the door of seriously injured people."
然而，保险业一直将责任归于汽车保费上调上。这是十分可耻的，因为那些重受伤的人就要承受管理不当导致的恶果。
The government reduced the discount rate - also known as the Ogden rate - from the start of April this year.
政府从今年4月初下调了贴现率，也就是Ogden利率。
It is designed to compensate insurance companies who pay out lump sums to those who suffer lifelong injuries.
它的目的是补偿那些向那些终生残疾的人支付大笔费用的保险公司。
In theory those awarded such sums can earn extra money by investing the money they are given.
从理论上讲，这些钱可以通过投资他们的资金所得的利息来支付。
As a result, the awards were previously reduced - or discounted - by 2.5%, the amount that victims could earn in interest on government bonds.
但是，这笔钱比之前减少了2.5%，这笔钱也是受害者本可以从政府债券中获得的一些钱。
But such interest rates - or bond yields - have fallen. In fact once inflation is taken into account, they are now negative - meaning accident victims will actually be losing money in real terms over the long term.
但利率已经下调了。事实上，一旦考虑到通货膨胀，那么利率下调的影响其实是消极的，这意味真正的受害者实际上得到的钱更少了。
The government’s decision to cut the discount rate will also be criticised in the House of Lords on Tuesday.
政府下调贴现率的决定也将会在周二在上议院受到批评。
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts has tabled what is called a "motion of regret" - expressing concern that the government did not commission an impact assessment before ordering the changes.
Astley Abbotts的霍奇森爵士认为政府在下令之前没有对影响进行评估。
来源:BBC
爱语吧作者:Anne
责任编辑：李然
实习编辑：陆婧宇
