Beware-of-staged-accidents

Beware of staged accidents!

Ever wonder why insurance premiums are so high in Ireland? A major contributing factor is insurance fraud. And as if paying through the nose for someone else’s crimes wasn’t enough of a nuisance, it’s possible that you might one day be directly targeted by one of these scams. Here are a few types of staged accidents – and how to avoid them.

Keep an eye out for the following:

1. Drivers letting you go. The vast majority of the time this is just another road user being polite or helpful, but you should always be on your guard. Scammers have been known to flash their lights or wave unsuspecting motorists on only to intentionally crash into them when they pull out. Stay alert no matter what.

2. Screeching to a halt. This can be very difficult to avoid and is one of the most common methods of staging an accident. The driver in front slams on their brakes for no legitimate reason, causing the vehicle behind to crash into the back of them.

3. Junction vultures. Fraudsters sometimes wait for someone else to make the first move at a junction before accelerating into their path and claiming that the victim didn’t stop where they were supposed to.

How to avoid getting caught up in a staged accident

As is always the case with road safety, it’s crucial that you have your wits about you at all times. People who stage accidents are often very skilled and experienced when it comes to this type of thing so it’s important that you don’t give them a free pass by zoning out or driving carelessly in any way.

One easy method of avoiding accidents involving the car in front of you, be they staged or genuine, is maintaining a safe driving distance between their vehicle and yours. That way, even if they do brake suddenly, you’ll have adequate time to react.

Get in touch with us today to find out more about road safety, your policy or anything insurance related in general. We’ll do our best to fill you in.

All the best,

The Team at GMIB.ie