NEWS SHORTS-1
Final easing of lockdown expected to spark rise in
‘Crash 4 Cash’ induced collisions
Insurance experts are predicting a rise in induced road collisions, also known as ‘Crash 4 Cash’ scams, over the coming months as the UK leaves lockdown.
Induced collision cases rose by 150% when the first national lockdown was lifted in 2020 and that’s expected to rise again when the latest lockdown restrictions were lifted in July.
Earlier this year the Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) published a list of the UK’s Crash 4 Cash hotspots, with Birmingham topping the list as the place with the highest prevalence of this type of crime,with Leicester, Coventry, Nottingham, Sheffield and Harrow and Romford in London also hotspots according to Ageas’ claims data.
Lockdowns made it harder for Crash 4 Cash scammers to operate because, with less traffic on the road it was harder to disguise their actions. It’s anticipated that as restrictions are again lifted and road-use returns to more normal levels, these criminals will start to re-emerge and put innocent motorists at risk by causing accidents.
NEWS SHORTS-2
Independent workshops facing potentially serious post Brexit lock-out challenges
Following the UK’s departure from the EU there is concern that failure to consider a replacement for the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation (MVBER) legislation, which expires in 2023, could lead to OEMs designing systems and products that lock-out third parties, such as Independent vehicle workshops.
The current block exemptions regulations, which came into force in 2012, are already open to abuse by automotive manufacturers as newer parts and technology fall outside of its scope. These so-called ‘captive parts’ become subject to mini-monopolies, a practice already especially prevalent in newer areas of technology, like electric vehicles and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).
The confusion around the future of Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation (MVBER) has led to the formation of UK AFCAR, a coalition of companies and industry bodies, to lobby the
Government on fair treatment of the UK aftermarket. The Independent Garage Association has also launched a new scheme, GarageSafe, to offer accreditation for garages to be able to access data from 2023 onwards should no new plans be implemented.
A leading automotive parts commentator says that “Independent garages consistently rank higher for customer satisfaction than the franchised dealers, offering a local ‘all-makes’ service at a competitive price, which can be flexed depending on the parts the driver is comfortable paying for.”
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