Error parsing XSLT file: \xslt\FacebookOpenGraph.xslt Mike Waters' blog: 18 September 2013 - You need to be streetwise
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Mike Waters' blog: 18 September 2013 - You need to be streetwise

Date: 18 September 2013

Mike Waters is senior insight & consultancy manager at leasing and fleet management company Arval

Another new insurance scam has reared its head that drivers need to be aware of. This stuff really is infuriating but at the same time, you need to know about it so that if you are being targeted, you can spot the signs and take action.

We've all heard of the kind of incidents where criminals disconnect their brake lights and manufacture a situation where unsuspecting drivers collide with the back of them, often working in gangs to distract the driver and increase the chances of trapping them. This example is slightly different and is being called "flash-for-cash".

Motorists are being warned that criminals flash their lights to let other drivers out of a junction, then intentionally crash into them.

Apparently the gangs tend to target new, smarter vehicles or vulnerable road users, including older people and women with children in the car. Hard to prove in court, it is thought that many drivers have already fallen foul to this ploy.

What it means is that drivers not only have to be alert at all times, they also need to be streetwise. With thousands of vehicles on the road, high congestion levels, and many of us in a rush driving can already be a challenge and one that we must give our full attention.

Scams like this add an extra level of complexity and a new hazard for unsuspecting drivers. Of course the normal safe driving rules apply, keep your distance, manoeuvre at low speeds and give driving your full attention. However, if someone lets you out then purposely drives into you, an accident is difficult to avoid.

All you can do is take as many details as you can at the scene, look out for any witnesses, and make some notes so you have a clear recollection of what happened.

Given that you are dealing with criminals, it's not worth the risk of confronting them, but if you do smell a rat, you should definitely flag it with the police and your insurance company. 



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