Inside a world-class insurance research facility

Phil Mercer (left) visited Thatcham Research and met Mitali Shah (centre) and Sean Hoad

On the edge of Thatcham there is a world-class facility used by the insurance industry to research how different vehicles' premiums should be priced.

BBC Radio Berkshire was invited to Thatcham Research to see how it works with insurers to study various aspects of increasingly complex vehicles.

A test held on Tuesday showed the damage that could be caused by a low-speed crash on a vehicle that still has yet to go on sale.

A trolley weighing 1,400kg was used to simulate the impact of another running into the vehicle at about 10mph (16km/h).

Pictures of the impact are commercially sensitive and so need to remain confidential.

'A lot of patience'

Senior test engineer Sean Hoad said: "If you look at modern cars, even the headlamps have moved on tremendously in the past 10 years.

"We have got LED headlamps. That increases the cost. We have got lots of different sensors hidden behind the bumper and sensors for autonomous driving.

"So what we are looking for is vehicle design that protects those components and reduces the repair costs.

"It's not just about the repair costs. There are other costs outside of that. Obviously the value of the car comes into it, [including] how secure it is. There's a variety of factors that go into the overall cost."

Established in 1969, Thatcham Research says it is the UK's only not-for-profit automotive risk intelligence organisation.

"It's brilliant," Mitali Shah, another senior test engineer, told BBC Radio Berkshire.

"You've got one attempt to do [a test] so there's a lot of adrenaline when you're working but it teaches you a lot.

"It teaches a lot of patience. It's amazing, it's one of a kind."