Dash cams are proving popular with UK drivers, with more and more choosing to ride with these little gadgets every year. Why should you think about getting one? You could potentially save a packet if the worst happens.
Every year, ‘crash for cash’ scams cost the UK around £340m. So what’s a ‘crash for cash’ scam? It’s an incident where fraudsters deliberately cause a crash on the road, hoping to profit from an insurance claim. And the ones who end up footing the bills aren’t the scammers themselves, but the honest motorists who pay their car insurance premiums.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Fyfe, Head of the Insurance Fraud Enforcement Department, commented that crash for cash fraudsters “put the safety of innocent people at risk in a bid to make money, but they also cause financial harm to the insurance industry, driving up the cost of insurance premiums for all motorists.”
According to the Insurance Fraud Bureau, Birmingham is the most likely place to be a victim of one of these to see crash for cash scams, closely followed by Bradford and Manchester.
“On average, insurance fraud adds around £50 to the premium of every honest policyholder, and dash cams could help to bring this back down”
One way you can reduce the risk of a ‘crash for cash’ scam is by using a dash cam. These small devices fix to the windscreen of your car, and will automatically start recording when you start your journey. On average, insurance fraud adds around £50 to the premium of every honest policyholder, and dash cams could help to bring this back down.
In the event of an accident, you can pass the footage on to your insurer to help prove who was at fault for the accident. If you make a claim and use a dash cam to prove that an accident wasn’t your fault:
- Claims could be settled faster and in your favour
- You could get back your excess payment
- You could keep your No Claims Discount (it’s worth noting here that if you’re a By Miles member, your NCD is guaranteed even if you make a claim)
Just five years ago, only 1% of UK drivers were using a dash camera. According to AA research, that’s now shot up to 20%. A quarter of respondents told the AA that a fear of ‘crash for cash’ scams was their reason for buying, while more than half said that they use one to provide evidence in the event of a claim.
By Miles customers get a 10% discount on dashcams and 15% on professional fitting from our friends at Dash Witness – a leading provider of dashcams. You can visit the By Miles discount page on the Dash Witness website to get your discount.
