Friday, February 18, 2011

 

Cash for crashers ruin lives


As if we don’t already have enough driving-related anxieties to contend with: the cost of car insurance – negative stereotypes of young drivers – spiralling fuel costs – and the sometimes hazardous driving conditions we all must face.

But, it seems there is, sadly, yet another concern car drivers must be wise to: the cash for crash scam and in recent years, police and motor insurance companies have reported a surge in such scams.

In the typical cash for crash scam, a fraudster will drive in front of the unsuspecting motorist before braking suddenly, causing a rear-end crash so that they can then claim compensation for whiplash.

My own grandmother, 79-years-old, telephoned me just yesterday to reveal that she had nearly become the victim of such a scam.

She’d been driving on a rural road close to her retiree’s accommodation when the vehicle ahead began engaging in sudden and erratic braking. After a few minutes it became clear to my gran than she was being unwittingly coaxed into a car accident.

Thankfully, she decided to pull over and wait, but also to gather her composure.

However, she is now fearful of taking to the road again and it may be that her motoring life has come to a premature end.

Cash for crash scammers: not only do they drive up the cost of car insurance cover, they also ruin lives.

Image © elisfanclub via Flickr, under Creative Commons Licence

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