Risk & Business Magazine Jones DesLauriers Insurance Fall 2015 | Page 31

Driver Awareness

Overcoming The Threat of Staged Automobile Accidents
BY: DONNY CUNHA, ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE, JONES DESLAURIERS INSURANCE

S

taged automobile accidents are
becoming more and more common
as innocent motorists and commercial
drivers are caught unaware and
manipulated into road incidents. These
types of accidents are caused when
someone has the intention of committing
automobile fraud and receiving a payout
because of the incident. The costs of
staged automobile accidents are high.
Your driving record could be blemished,
costly claims can be levied on your
insurance record, injuries and deaths can
occur, your life is disrupted due to claims
and repairs, and lastly, but not least, your
insurance premiums can rise.
There are a number of ways that
individuals stage accidents, most of
which have been given colloquial
nicknames by police because of how
common they are:
“Drive-down” – In this scam, you are
attempting to merge when another driver
gives you a signal to go ahead. Instead of
letting you, however, they crash into your
vehicle.
“Sideswipe” – You round a corner and
drift slightly into a lane near you, at
which point the fraudster steps on the gas
and sideswipes your vehicle.
“T-bone” – This scam occurs when you
cross an intersection and a driver on a
side street accelerates and hits you. They
then claim, often with planted witnesses,
that you ran the light.
“Roll-back” – In this case, you are both
stopped and, when you divert your
attention for a moment and the driver
in front of you sees an opening, they
roll their car back into yours, making it
seem like you hit them while not paying
attention.
Protecting yourself from these types of
scams is difficult, but not impossible.
Should you find yourself in a situation
like this, call the police immediately.
Report accidents to your insurance
company, and do not settle for cash on

the spot. Be mindful when giving out
personal information. Photograph the
vehicles and record as much information
as possible (including names, addresses,
and phone numbers). To help alleviate the
risk of falling victim to a staged accident,
drive defensively and avoid aggressive
driving. Be vigilant on the road and do
not make the mistake of being caught
unaware bec