VAN INSURANCE NEWS ROUNDUP: 7 DAYS ENDING 26 SEPT 2014:
Criminals are increasing their activity against van owners, especially when it comes to fraudulent van insurance claims – but that’s not all they’re up to.
The Freight Transport Association has put out the warning for the white van man to be on the lookout for commercial van insurance scammers. Criminals are apparently targeting van drivers in crash for cash fraud, and there’s evidence to back this up – official figures say that this type of car insurance fraud has gone up by 50 per cent over the last 12 months.
These criminals target van drivers in particular because they’re thought of as ‘easy prey,’ the FTA says. The trade industry body said the best way to combat against these bastards is to get your fleet fitted with dashboard cameras so these criminals can be caught in the act, and it sounds like a good idea for me – it’s hard to claim injury against an insurer when there’s video evidence of you slamming on your brakes to purposefully cause a rear-end shunt with the van behind you!
Meanwhile, not every criminal out there is a devious mastermind. In fact, some are absolutely thick. If you haven’t heard this next story yet, you’re going to be flummoxed: apparently a teenager nicked someone’s Transit van and went for a joyride on the M11.
Not entirely newsworthy on the face of it, is it? Well hold on to your knickers: this little bastard went the wrong way down the motorway, and not just for a few hundred feet, either – he went 40 bloody miles before he was finally caught by the authorities.
Yes, you read that right: 40 miles. This fine specimen of humanity, a 19 year old who’s been working as a labourer since the age of 13 when he left school, didn’t even have a proper driving license. It’s more than obvious that he wasn’t insured either, of course, but the good news is this pillock is now behind bars for the next 15 months.
Just goes to show you, boys and girls: stay in school. And don’t do drugs, either. Well that last bit is speculation on my part, but you know this fine upstanding citizen wasn’t in his right mind at the time – would it surprise anyone to discover he was a bit out of his mind on pharmaceuticals as well?
