Road accidents can be damaging to your business. You can end up spending a lot of money repairing the damage, especially for innocent drivers. According to the Insurance Research Council, staged accidents have increased. Insurances spend over $7.7 billion on auto injury claims.
Fleet company cars are susceptible to being targeted for staged accidents. Staged accidents occur when criminals make other drivers crash into them using manipulative means.
The perpetrators seek to make money by presenting fraudulent insurance claims or pursuing a lawsuit against your company. Acted car crashes not only endanger your drivers' lives but also lead your company into financial problems. As a fleet manager, you are encouraged to devise ways to avoid these mishaps.
How Can You Avoid Staged accidents?
1. Ensuring Proper Driver Behaviors
Staged accident fraudsters target drivers showcasing poor driving habits. Train your drivers to drive cautiously and be vigilant of their surroundings. Educate your drivers to avoid tailgating, avoid distractors like phones when driving, and leave enough exiting space when parking. When drivers are careful on the road, they can stop their vehicle before an accident happens, preventing them from falling victim to fraudsters who unexpectedly brake in front of them.
You can install dash cams to monitor your drivers and prevent staged accidents by recording events before the accident. Cameras will help a fleet company manager identify unsafe driving practices, preventing accidents from happening.
2. Educating Your Drivers on Staged Accidents
Drivers fall victim to planned accidents because they do not understand what they entail. Teach your drivers to identify strategies used by fraudsters, causing these accidents. These manipulative means include: -
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Swoop and Stop
A criminal vehicle will suddenly pull and brakes in front of the company vehicle in this case. Another accomplice vehicle will simultaneously stop alongside the car, preventing it from maneuvering, causing a rear-end collision. -
T-Bone Accident
Fraudsters will wait for your company vehicle to approach an intersection, then drive fast towards it, causing a collision. They have accomplice witnesses that will claim your driver ignored the stop sign or traffic signal. -
The Wave
The criminal identifies a company vehicle attempting to switch lanes. They give them the green light to maneuver onto the track but accelerate before your driver can finish changing the route, colliding with the fleet vehicle. The criminal later denies signaling the driver. -
Side Swipe
That technique happens at a left-turn intersection. The criminal in the outer lane deliberately sideswipes the company's car while turning and blaming your driver.
3. Regular Vehicle Maintenance
Vehicles in good working conditions can help avoid staged accidents. Proper braking and suspension systems and quality tires come in handy when avoiding crashes. Inspecting and maintaining your cars will make them perform better.
A manager can notice unacceptable patterns like hard braking and acceleration. Regular maintenance can help a manager hide distractions like excessive engine noises that make a driver susceptible to a played accident. A fleet company manager must ensure their vehicles are well-insured to prevent other complications.
4. Clearly Stating the Best Procedure After an Accident
Instruct your drivers on what to do during and after a staged crash. Drivers can use their phones to take pictures and record the damage caused to prevent exaggeration. It is advisable to call the police even when the damage is minimal. They should record the number of people involved in the accident and the extent of their injuries. That prevents fraudsters who appear fine from acting injured when the police arrive.
A driver must get their names and as much information as possible. Using the generated police report, they can contact the insurance company, informing them of the predicament. Your driver's awareness after the collision can help expose it as a staged accident, which could save your business' finances.
How We Can Help
Staged accidents can lead to unexpected losses for your business. Your company can always stop scammers who try to defraud your insurance by implementing proper management and other preventive measures with the help of a fleet management company like Wilmar.
You can talk to us, and we will help you ensure that your company does not fall victim to staged accident criminals. Our experts can assist in maintenance practices, driver education and provide the perfect car fleet management strategies for your business.
