Deliberately crashing cars for insurance cash is costing the industry £500 million a year.

This is reflected in your premiums. Unfortunately, many of these crashes deliberately involve innocent motorists. 

Crash for cash scams are staged collisions. They come in two types. The first is when two people crash into each other purposely to then claim money from their insurance. 

The second is when someone deliberately drives dangerously to force a collision to occur. They both set out to scam money from insurers. 

For example, a high profile case in London at the end of last year (2011) shows just how much money can be made from them. The team of criminals made almost two million pounds from over 120 claims and were sentenced to over twelve years imprisonment. 

One of the methods used by crash for cash scammers is by tailgating. The car behind you will try to get your attention so you don’t concentrate on the car in front. Pay attention to the vehicles around you. If you feel threatened by a tailgater, pull over somewhere safe and legal to let them past. 

Avoid getting caught up in one these cons by looking ahead. Try to anticipate hazards before you get to them.

To help anticipate the hazards ahead, maintain a safe following distance from the car in front. If they slam the brakes or act out of the ordinary, you will have more time to react appropriately. 

When waiting at traffic lights, junctions or roundabouts, leave enough space from the car in front. You can judge this by making sure you can see the tarmac below the tyres of the car in front. 

While these tips will help you to keep clear of the scams, you may not be able to avoid one. In the event you are involved in a crash, remember to stay calm, you’ll need to swap details with the other drivers. 

If you’re suspicious about the collision, don’t ask them directly about it at the scene. Call the police immediately. If there’s a suspected injury, call the emergency services. 

Try to take photos of the damage, get a description of the driver and count the number of people in the other vehicle.

The reality is nobody wants to think about being involved in a collision, especially one which has been staged specifically to put them out of pocket - but it’s important to be prepared in case you are involved in one. Knowing what you must do and taking precautions can make things easier afterwards.