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.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23717575
Has it happened to you? Tweet me @richardwestcott
|
|
I saw this article this morning, and it says it is difficult to prove in court whether someone flashed you out or not. I thought the highway code stated flashing of lights only to warn someone of your presence.....?
|
Yep you must only use flash to warn people of your presence. It is a really tricky one but I think some common sense applies. If some rough looking people in an Audi or BMW flash you to let you out think twice.
|
>>Motorists are being warned about a new insurance scam
I reckon the first time I heard about this "new insurance scam" was in about 1983. But I never ever come across an example of a real such incident.
|
This is a development of the basic whiplash scam. In addition to demanding money for fake whiplash the occupants of the rogue car - usually at least four - may put in a false claim for a replacement hire car, which they do not need and use a fake company which greatly inflates the repair cost.
TYhis happenned to me and my insurer whilst accepting that I denied that any accident had even taken place still cancelled my no-claims bonus of five years and doubled my insurance premium forthwith.
In this case four muslims from Bristol took my car number plate and used crooked solicitors in Exeter and Ashford to threaten me. The other car`s occupants could not even name the road where they alleged that this had happenned. The solicitors did not bother with medical evidence and it was left up to me to prove that there was no damage to my car.
They will pick on single drivers , ideally in a car that has some damage at the front so that they dio not need actually to hit the car. In the case of flash for cash they will usually just drive striaighta at you. This happenned to a friend just near Southampton on a roundabout.
The only safe thing to do is ignore all flashing headlights. Otherwise you will be in for months of arguments and form filling. They can destroy your peace of mind.
|
Hope they try it with a loaded artic, hit the trailer amidships knocking in the flimsy side guard, trailer wheels do the business... a once only claim..;)
Heard something on the radio about it at lunch time, apparently the anything to avoid a days work usual suspects are doing it with buses now.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Wed 21 Aug 13 at 16:00
|
How did you come to find out they were Muslims? Must be a weird claims form asking for the religion of people you hit. Perhaps it was stamped on their forehead?
And I'm certainly not sure why you think it is relevant here.
How do you know the solicitors were crooked? Perhaps they just believed those horrible Muslims.
Stuff & nonsense.
|
>> Perhaps it was stamped on their forehead?
It is often possible to judge people's religion as well as country of origin with great accuracy by just looking at them.
|
|
People from certain religion and countries are more likely to involved in these types of frauds.
|
|
Interesting point of view.
|
I'd say it's often possible to GUESS religion : in the case of a Sikh or say a Christian bishop.. What would be the clue for a Moslem? Surely country is even trickier. I wouldn't know how to guess if a Moslem was from the UK or elsewhere. I think you're right that some crimes are more identified with some ethnic groups.
I don't understand how just looking helps with accuracy though.
|
Seems a bit unnecessary to me. I think I could guarantee to get somebody to run into the back of my car at a roundabout within no more than three attempts just be setting off and then stopping again.
I've been in two of those as a passenger, once each with the rammer and the rammee.
|
I have always ignored ' flashed instructions ' it's common sense. Sometimes it seems to frustrate the flasher but I don't give a tuppeny fart. I don't use the flash either.
There's been a few times when the flasher hasn't assessed the complete situation around him and not noticed that he is flashing you into the path of another car or wanting you to turn right across his front, hasn't noticed the lycra cyclist or inexperienced kid on a 50cc scooter batting up his inside. Drivers who blindly ' go on the flash ' can end up in the cack.
Have you noticed, a line of traffic coming towards you when you're waiting to hang a right. It's always the very last car who flashes you....but only after slowing down without any indication. If they just kept up with the flow, it'd be a lot quicker for both of you...I ignore them as well.
Tough, but there it is !
Ted
|
>> If they just kept up with the flow, it'd be a lot
>> quicker for both of you...I ignore them as well.
>>
They do that with pedestrians too. It's so annoying if you are waiting to cross a road, spot a likely gap, and are ready to step out smartly and do a sort of sideways crossing integrating into the traffic without causing anyone any inconvenience.
And then some idiot insists on stopping suddenly, holding everyone up. You can't trust him anyway - he's just as likely to be stopping for some other reason and will then run you over.
|
'flash-for-cash' car accident insurance scam - PR
