Slam-ons!

[Hellcat]

Anyone else heard of these scams where a car will race past you and the car infront. The first car then brakes, the second car brakes harder and you then find yourself with nowhere to go except into the back of the second car. The first car drives off and is not seen again.

The problem being of course that the 2nd car knows the first car is going to brake hard and brakes harder and sooner than needed just so you go into the back of them.

A variation being waiting to pull out at a roundabout, pretending to pull out and then braking for no reason. You think they are gone and are distracted looking right to notice they have stopped.

From reports on the radio it seems they are organised gangs of foreign or non-english speaking brits. This because interpteters are often brought in if the cases comes to court.

 

[custard]

saw it on itn news today.seemingly trucks are the prime targets

 

[Hellcat]

Two reasons.

1. They can't brake/avoid as fast.
2. They are more likely to be insured.

 

[bulldog5046]

if its a single lane road you cant but still change lane etc and you might find yourself lucky.

 

[Jai]

they had a series of photos from the western ave flyover in the standard today with a clio and a truck....

 

[Hellcat]

Thought I was going to be had recently.. At a roundabout behind someone - they pulled away, i looked right and started my exit onto the roundabout (it was perfectly clear) and as i turned back to the front the car was still there! Was only doing a few mph but didn't have far to stop.. Just caught it in time - why she hadn't pulled out despite the roundabout being clear I'll never know. Thankgoodness for big disc brakes and ABS.

 

[boyonthehill]

Wasnt this on Tonight with Trevor McDonald or something? It was definitly on telly about it

 

[Dunc Uno Turbo]

my mate had someone put their foot on the brake at a round about when there was clearly nothing coming. he jumped out and ran over to the other car and said "thats your fault, not mine, theres nothing coming!" and basicly bullied em till they admitted they stopped for no reason lol

Dunc

 

[jug]

the fact remains, its your fault if you slam into them, there is no excuse if you dont keep your distance. and can you blame them for trying it when the minimum payout for whiplash is £2k, usually more. the solution is to scrap personal injury claims unless you really are injured, (e.g. in a hospital bed for at least 24 hours)

going into the back of someone on a roundabout is by far the most common slow speed accident. especially for a motorbike rider. its easily done.

i always assume the person in front will be able to drive, thats a dangerous assumption, better to assume they are thick, blind and dont have a license.

 

[jug]

and basicly bullied em till they admitted

thats my tactic, get their details first, them make it perfectly clear that it wasnt your fault (even if it was) and if they try to say it was they'll be very very sorry.

and if it really wasnt my fault and they tried to blame me i really would make them very very sorry. they'd never own another car with all its paint work in tact thats for sure.

 

[kev1]

this scam has been going on in the states for some years now and it was only a matter of time before it came over here. the really organised gangs have doctors and lawyers working for them as well to swell the claim

scary or what??

 

[Fast Finger]

the minimum payout for whiplash is £2k, usually more. the solution is to scrap personal injury claims unless you really are injured, (e.g. in a hospital bed for at least 24 hours)

That would not always be possible.

I was in a crash about 5 years ago which was not my fault.
I was not hospitolized but did claim whiplash. It took 2 days short of a year to get the claim accepted after many trips to specialists and i still suffer from it in the winter.

Its a nice idea, but would never work.