|
Protection for Drivers
It is increasingly difficult for commercial vehicle drivers and transport
companies to defend themselves from false accusations or litigation.
Pro-Edge™ and Isotrak™ now have the answer.
The innovative 360°Eye-Data® system from Pro-Edge,
combined with a unique technology tie with the International Telematics
Tracking Company Isotrak™, provides a very powerful defense solution
Fake Crash for Cash Scams
A fast growing and dangerous method of securing cash for
false insurance claims
Lorry drivers have enough put up with on the roads, what with erratic
and aggravated risk takers, without this latest and rapidly growing epidemic.
The following has been extracted from the London Evening Standard dated 30 August 2006
A variant trick used by the gang is to brake heavily in front of a lorry
just before a set of traffic lights. The gang target lorries because they
have long braking distances and cause far more damage than cars
A news report from the BBC dated 11 January 2007 reports:
The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB), which was set up by Insurers last
year (2006) to deal with fraud cases, says that bogus and inflated claims
like those from deliberate accidents cost more than £1.5 billion a year.
They claim this adds five percent to premiums.
New figures from the Insurance Fraud Bureau show an increase to £1.9BN per year.
If you are involved in an accident the following may help you:
- Take a note of the time
- Note any registrations of vehicles near to you, especially those that may be witness to the incident
- Do you have a reflective jacket to put on? Always keep on in your vehicle.
- Take a note of any other possible witnesses
- Do not admit anything to anyone, your thoughts may be blurred and you could say the wrong thing.
- You can seek legal advice before making a statement.
- If anyone is injured, enlist someone to immediately call an ambulance
- (the Police are called automatically for any suspected injuries)
- Do not put yourself or anyone else at risk
- Do not let any unauthorised person move your vehicle (are your ignition keys safe)
- If you have a camera (carry a disposable one in the cab) take as many photographs as you can
- Exchange contact details
- If the other person says 'sorry' and admits it was their fault, get them to sign a brief statement,
- remember their address, date, time, vehicle details, brief location
THE HIGHWAY CODE STATES:
If you are involved in an accident that causes injury or damage to any vehicle,
person, property or animal you MUST stop, give your own and vehicle owner's name and address and the
registration number to anyone having reasonable grounds for requiring them.
If you do not give your name and address at the time of the accident you must report the accident
to the Police within 24 hours.
If you are involved in an accident and you think you may have been a victim of Insurance
Fraud, still note the above, but also record the following:
- Beware of alleged incident witnesses, 'who was there and was not there' (manufactured witnesses).
- Injured passengers can turn up out of thin air!
- Count the number of passengers in the other vehicle
- Try to find an independent witness or witnesses
- If you are driving your companies vehicle, offer your work address
(greater security from personal harassment)
- Refuse to pay on the spot settlements that the other driver may demand, opt for exchanging details
- (they would probably take the money and still claim)
- If you are requested to part with cash, make a written note of the details and date it
- Call the Police and tell them you think you may be a victim of a fraudulent accident
- Tell the insurance company not to settle the claim, or ask your line manager to inform them as such,
on your behalf
- Arrange to call the Insurance Fraud Bureau 0800 328 2550 and say that you are suspicious
that you may be a victim of an insurance fraud claim
However, if you are lucky enough to have 360°Eye-Data® protection system
from Pro-Edge™ and Isotrak™ installed, contact your fleet manager and
ask them swap and recover the hard drive of your vehicle's digital video recorder
Images easily down-loaded to a PC. Optional digital mapping system shows
location of vehicle. The embedded data from Isotrak's tracking and vehicle
management system includes GPS co-ordinates and speed
You are not obliged to provide a written statement to the Police at the time of an incident,
you may be too shaken up and confused and wish to seek professional legal help
How to detect or predict that you may soon be a victim of a staged accident:
- Being trailed for long periods
- Erratic behaviour by other drivers
- Vehicles braking hard near you
- Vehicles swerving close to you
- Two vehicles tailing for long periods. Staged accidents usually involve two vehicles,
- One is a distraction vehicle to set you up and the second to force the crash
- Vehicles driving too close, in front, or the side of you (pull back or over)
- You are driving a commercial vehicle.
HGV drivers are a prime target, because sadly, you will cause more damage
than a car and have longer stopping distances
Where you are most at risk. Danger Zones:
- At road junctions, beware of motorists letting you in (beckoning/waving) at a junction,
when it is YOU that DOES NOT HAVE the right of way
- Vehicles braking hard at junctions
- Traffic lights, places they can justify having to stop sharply, even if no one was on the
crossing (your word against theirs)
- Roundabouts, same scenarios as above
- Slipways, beware of the 'hit' car swerving at the last minute and either hitting you sidways,
or braking hard after swerving and/or pulling in front, inevitably making contact
- Distractions, road works, ice cream van, dust cart, school crossing....
You are being watched by the passengers in the hit car.
- When you are distracted, the passengers in the fraudster vehicle give the signal to
the driver to force the accident, you are now a victim.
Real Danger:
Fraudsters even use mini buses (more passengers for whiplash claims), hire cars,
bangers and fill them with passengers. Why whiplash for one person when it can be
done in bulk. These unscrupulous drivers will cruise for ages looking for a victim
HGV drivers do not have the same braking distance as a passenger car
(the fraudsters know this)
360°Eye-Data® is a powerful safety protection solution for commercial fleet
transport a benchmark for security, safety and efficiency
Protect your most valuable asset, your drivers
360°Eye-Data® is a benchmark for safety and security systems.
We will on request provide a 360°Eye-Data Warning ID sticker or label.
ID stickers will offer a visible and clear warning to other road users, therefore protecting
your drivers, resources and other road users.
Safe drivers reduce fuel consumption, maintenance, repairs and insurance costs
Drive Safely
Our sincere thanks to Isotrak™ for their help and co-operation in helping us to take this CCTV safety
system development forward and for their foresight in realising that this unique telemetry/digital CCTV
recording system will increase driver safety, save lives and reduce fleet vehicle running costs.
NB: If you are a fleet transport manager and wish to know more about the telematics and 360°Eye-Data® mobile CCTV system,
Pro-Edge, Isotrak and 360°Eye-Data are all trade marks
All data Copyright © Pro-Edge Limited 2010
|
