Adrian@TORQEN Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Motorists are being warned about a new insurance scam where criminals flash their lights to let other drivers out of a junction, then crash into them on purpose. Anti-fraud experts are calling it "flash-for-cash". The gangs tend to target new, smarter vehicles or vulnerable road users, including older people and women with children in the car. The scam is costing insurers hundreds of millions of pounds every year. It is a new tactic for an already well established crime, called "crash for cash", where criminals slam on the brakes for no reason so that the victim drives into the back of their car. Police investigators said the criminals will often remove the bulbs in their brake lights so other road users don't know they're stopping. However, "flash-for-cash" is more crafty, because it is harder to prove in court, often coming down to the innocent driver's word against the criminal's that they flashed their lights to let them out. Fake claims Each "accident" can net the gangs tens of thousands of pounds in a variety of ways. Firstly, they put in false personal injury claims for whiplash, sometimes including claims for people who were not even in the car. Added to that, they might charge the insurance company for loss of earnings, then they put in fake bills for vehicle storage, recovery, repairs, and replacement car hire. Detective Inspector Dave Hindmarsh from the Metropolitan Police is an expert at catching them out. He says this kind of crime costs the industry a fortune and, as ever, it's the honest, insurance-paying motorist who is footing the bill, "The problem is a growing problem. Financially it costs insurers £392m a year - that impacts on motorists as it's an extra £50 to £100 on every person's premium so that's a financial cost. "[There are] emotional costs [as] if you're involved in a crash you could well lose your confidence, and if your passengers are children they may well become wary of being passengers in cars, and of course you may get injured or killed." This latest "flash-for-cash" warning has come from Asset Protection Unit (APU), a company which helps the police and the insurance industry investigate fraud. Neil Thomas at APU says the criminals pick on people who are not going to put up a fight, "Perhaps single females in the car with children in the back, perhaps doing the school run. Where they know there's going to be no resistance, no real argument at the scene. The children are going to be upset". Good intentions Generally speaking, drivers are not meant to flash their lights to let people out onto busy roads. It is meant to be used as a warning. The Highway Code says: "Flashing headlights. Only flash your headlights to let other road users know that you are there. Do not flash your headlights to convey any other message or intimidate other road users. Never assume that flashing headlights is a signal inviting you to proceed. Use your own judgement and proceed carefully." However, the reality is that most people do use it as a friendly gesture, and law-abiding motorists feel it's a shame that something that is meant to be so positive, a rare show of good manners on the road, is now being abused by criminals. The police and fraud experts believe that by raising awareness, and making people more wary, there is a good chance many drivers won't take the bait when the criminals lay a trap. http://www.bbc.co.uk...siness-23717575 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bounty Bar Kid Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Buy a camera, record it and use it as proof later. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fodder Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Buy a camera, record it and use it as proof later. How will that help when you are flashed from the side to be let out at a junction? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamez Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 50-100£ increase? My insurance has more than tripled over the last few years when it should have been going down! I think/know I must be in an area where this is happening a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Mcgoo Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Buy a camera, record it and use it as proof later. How will that help when you are flashed from the side to be let out at a junction? +1 You need 4 cameras now to be any use at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smudgedon Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Buy a camera, record it and use it as proof later. How will that help when you are flashed from the side to be let out at a junction? +1 You need 4 cameras now to be any use at all. A decent camera will have 180degrees viewing angle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cs2000 Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Buy a camera, record it and use it as proof later. How will that help when you are flashed from the side to be let out at a junction? +1 You need 4 cameras now to be any use at all. A decent camera will have 180degrees viewing angle Even my cheap eBay camera has a wide angle lens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronzee Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 Just puts the use of in car cameras to more prevalence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fodder Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 (edited) The videos people post don't show to the left or right though. I'd also be interested what the law would state as I'm sure the Highway Code still puts the onus on the driver pulling out EDIT: the article itself highlights the fact that you are not to assume its inviting you to proceed but in fact to alert you to the fact they are present. Just genuinely interested in people's thoughts on the whole camera situation. I personally think its leading us down a dangerous road (apologies for the pun) Edited August 16, 2013 by Fodder 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmr1980 Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 I never take it for granted that flashing lights means 'I'm letting you out' - always wary of what's around. I'm also not a fan of cameras though I suppose they can help bolster a statement? I don't mind cameras for capturing a fun drive, but it could also lead to having it used against you! I think it sets a bit of an ugly precedent too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 That's the risk you take with cameras. They can both help and hinder you. Personally whilst I think it's an important thing to bring to people's attention, I can't help but feel that there is nothing that can be done about it really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cs2000 Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 (edited) but it could also lead to having it used against you! I think it sets a bit of an ugly precedent too. Not true. Ive told my insurers Adrian flux about both my in car tracker and camera set-up and they note I have it, but that it makes no change at all to my policy. If some tool causes an accident and I have the video proof then I will present it, but if i'm at fault then its my choice, however genuinely if im at fault I would admit it, there's no point lying. Sometimes my camera genuinely doesn't power up (goes through the initial boot cycle but never stars recording, think its due to exactly when you start the car in the process), what if the day I have the crash that's my fault is one of those days? The highway code is clear on this however. You are not supposed to take flashing the lights as a prompt to pull out, its to alert another driver you are there. If that's your only argument in court, the guy flashing his lights will win 100% of the time as its in black and white. I guess this is why they're doing it as technically its not really illegal, they could just be alerting you that they're coming and to not pull out. Of course, in the real world (at least I) you wait for the flash and normally evidence of the car breaking and possibly even a hand wave, this would be caught on camera and could be used as evidence. Edited August 16, 2013 by cs2000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 but it could also lead to having it used against you! I think it sets a bit of an ugly precedent too. Not true. Ive told my insurers Adrian flux about both my in car tracker and camera set-up and they note I have it, but that it makes no change at all to my policy. I think what he meant was if you decided to give it a bit of welly somewhere then there's proof of you being naughty, should the police stop you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cs2000 Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 but it could also lead to having it used against you! I think it sets a bit of an ugly precedent too. Not true. Ive told my insurers Adrian flux about both my in car tracker and camera set-up and they note I have it, but that it makes no change at all to my policy. I think what he meant was if you decided to give it a bit of welly somewhere then there's proof of you being naughty, should the police stop you. Fair enough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wmr1980 Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 but it could also lead to having it used against you! I think it sets a bit of an ugly precedent too. Not true. Ive told my insurers Adrian flux about both my in car tracker and camera set-up and they note I have it, but that it makes no change at all to my policy. I think what he meant was if you decided to give it a bit of welly somewhere then there's proof of you being naughty, should the police stop you. Yup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KyleR Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 but it could also lead to having it used against you! I think it sets a bit of an ugly precedent too. Not true. Ive told my insurers Adrian flux about both my in car tracker and camera set-up and they note I have it, but that it makes no change at all to my policy. I think what he meant was if you decided to give it a bit of welly somewhere then there's proof of you being naughty, should the police stop you. Thats why you only provide what you need to provide Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaydnH Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 I never take it for granted that flashing lights means 'I'm letting you out' - always wary of what's around. Exactly, how do you know they're not flashing a mate of there's they've seen driving the other direction? The only way I could see this working on me would be if they slowed down loads and flashed to let me when I had plenty of time to pull out in front of them and then they floor it in to the back of me... so basically they need a faster car than my Z. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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