Anyone come across a staged accident?

keeaumoku_tofu

I friend of mine was mentioning how he had heard about someone who basically staged accidents. Apparently the person would pull the handbrake and get hit from behind. Because no light shows when the handbrake is pulled whoever is behind has no indication he is stopping and usually hits them from behind. Since the person is hit from behind it is the other driver's fault. Has anyone come across this?

ToxicPaddy

nope, but whoever that guy is, he deserves a good kicking..

And severe back pain and neck problems for the rest of his life,
then he'll see exactly what its like to suffer...

A**hole.. :mad:

mike65

There are ppl/scumbags who make a living out of this sort of stunt - I saw a ITV expose a year or two back proberly on Police Camera Action! about a family who for a while coined it with mysterious accidents mainly incolving a rear-end shunt the point of which was'nt bent metal but bad backs, strained necks etc. They were sussed by suveillence and a couple of them did time if the remember rightly.

http://www.njinsurancefraud.org/release/2003/september/salkauski0908.htm

http://www.cma.uk.com/staged_accidents.htm


Mike.

Victor

Originally posted by mike65
http://www.njinsurancefraud.org/release/2003/september/salkauski0908.htmhttp://www.cma.uk.com/staged_accidents.htm

There was a case in the States where they staged an accident between two busses. About 20 more people got on the busses and then claimed. Of course it was the cops who staged the accident and all the "existing" passengers were cops.

spockety

Staying a fair distance back from the car in front, and doing the proper amount of concentration required for good driving will ensure that you are never a victim of this stunt..!

woosaysdan

Originally posted by spockety
Staying a fair distance back from the car in front, and doing the proper amount of concentration required for good driving will ensure that you are never a victim of this stunt..!

well said remember your braking distance people

seamus

Originally posted by woosaysdan
well said remember your braking distance people

Imagine heavy m50 traffic, all travelling 65-70 mph. You're the safe and legal distance from the car in front. Then he brakes sharply, with his handbrake. You're toast. Extreme example, but IMO, your reaction time is doubled when the car in front has no brake lights, regardless of how much attention you're paying. The only way you can tell he's slowing down is when you see yourself gaining on him.

Capt'n Midnight

M50 arrgghhhh - esp. coming up to the Palmestown Roundabout heading North - if you leave a safe gap then when (not if) the traffic suddenly slows down from 60mph to 20mph someone in the other lane will try and nip in ahead of you to avoid hitting the car they were too close too....

So that old chestnut

If a car stops and you run into the back of him and then someone runs into the back of you - who claims against who ?
Have heard of a scam (most likely racist propoganda) where the first car is a banger with NO insurance, the car behind is the one they want to claim for.

Gerry

You won't stop that quickly with the handbrake, but if the driver staging the accident is smart, they'll ram it down a few gears as well. If you are a safe distance, and keeping an eye on the car in front, you won't hit them.

seamus

Originally posted by Capt'n Midnight
If a car stops and you run into the back of him and then someone runs into the back of you - who claims against who ?

The first guy claims against you and you claim against the guy who ran into the back of you.

Have heard of a scam (most likely racist propoganda) where the first car is a banger with NO insurance, the car behind is the one they want to claim for.

3 businessmen got nicked for this on the N4 some time last year I think. Basically they pretended to run 3 cars into eachother.
Faking accidents is a well known scam, not just from the point of doing stupid things to get other people to run into you, but getting a group of people to crash their carsinto eachother, and claiming from the insurance co.

Capt'n Midnight

maybe I got that backwards..
The third car (uninsured) crashes shunts you into the first car ..

Victor

Originally posted by Capt'n Midnight
If a car stops and you run into the back of him and then someone runs into the back of you - who claims against who ?
Have heard of a scam (most likely racist propoganda) where the first car is a banger with NO insurance, the car behind is the one they want to claim for.

If three (or more) cars are involved in a single rear-ending incident, each driver is responsible to the driver in front. So remember to leave space and apply (and release!) the hand brake when stopped in traffic / at junctions.

Being hit by an articulated truck / bus from behind and you then hitting someone else may exempt you from this rule.

Originally posted by Capt'n Midnight
The third car (uninsured) crashes shunts you into the first car ..

Then the middle car is responsible for being too close to the front car.

A friend got stung by an idiot at traffic light who slammed his car into "reverse" instead of "first" and hit the accelerator.

spockety

"Imagine heavy m50 traffic, all travelling 65-70 mph. You're the safe and legal distance from the car in front. Then he brakes sharply, with his handbrake. You're toast. Extreme example, but IMO, your reaction time is doubled when the car in front has no brake lights, regardless of how much attention you're paying. The only way you can tell he's slowing down is when you see yourself gaining on him."


Sorry, this just doesn't cut the mustard.
Driving is a serious and dangerous thing, and requires utmost concentration if you are to be as safe as possible. Stopping with a handbrake is not going to cause a car to suddenly brake sharply, it's not strong enough. If you keep enough distance and you concentrate well enough, it doesn't matter if you're doing 30mph or 70mph, you will have enough space and time to react. If you don't, you only have yourself to blame. Defensive driving is how to avoid accidents... personally I always just ASSUME that the person on front has brake lights that aren't working, if that doesn't make you concentrate, nothing will!

Turner

Anybody who stages any kind of accident at 50-70mph would be lucky to be alive afterwards. Especially on the m50 where the posibillity of being shunted over the central medium in to oncomming traffic exists.