According to recent motor insurer reports – 865 dishonest motor insurance claims are being made every week, worth £10.4m, something that will be lessened with the introduction of in-vehicle cameras.
In particular “crash for cash” scammers are targeting commercial vehicles – as van and HGV drivers account for a large proportion of road users they are considered as “easy prey” by the crooks.
Don Armour, FTA manager of fleet information, said: ‘Regretfully it is becoming more essential for freight operators to rely on security equipment and devices to defend their position in court, and ensure security of their drivers. These ‘crash for cash’ incidents are yet another obstacle for professional drivers to contend with in their day to day work, but security equipment is another tool in their armoury to combat this sort of criminality.’
Armour continued: ‘FTA is recommending to its members that they should be aware of the “crash for cash” opportunists, and that they must take all measures possible to avoid being scammed. They should inform their drivers of these sorts of crimes; take measures to avoid these type of incidents; and install security equipment including forward facing cameras where appropriate.’
The FTA highlights that safety equipment including dashcams can help fleets with such scams.
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