There is little doubt that the recession has bitten longer and harder than many imagined. Understandably, consumers are taking the opportunity to keep motor insurance costs down by trying to find the best car insurance deals that they can. However, one sinister consequence of the recession has seen a rise in the number of people prepared to consider crashing their vehicles in order to make an insurance claim. More than 1,000,000 drivers are estimated to have considered crashing their cars in order to make an insurance claim and of those a staggering 350,000 are estimated to have done so.

It is difficult to understand what level of desperation would make someone want to take this course of action, although some of it may connected with organised crime. However the potential for fatal crashes is enormous. There is never a 'safe' crash and for most of us the risk is far too great to take. However, these are desperate times for many people and insurers are often the target for fraudulent claims when people fall into financial difficulty.

Figures suggest that males, particularly in London, are the most likely to take this course of action. However, car insurance providers point out that not only is the act fraudulent, it is also extremely dangerous. Organised fraud costs the insurance industry over £1.5billion a year, ultimately funded through higher premiums passed on to honest consumers: estimated to be some £40 for the average yearly premium. However, this pales into insignificance when you consider the potential for severe injury and even death of innocent passengers, pedestrians and other drivers. Uninsured drivers are also taking their toll. There have been several high profile cases which have involved children injured or even killed by a car driven by an uninsured driver. It is a sad fact that those who consider taking the risk of driving whilst uninsured will often take further unnecessary risks to avoid being caught.

Desperate times these may be but there are some risks which are simply not worth taking. Anyone caught making a fraudulent claim will find that they are unlikely to be able to obtain insurance cover in the future. There are a wide range of insurance deals on the market and finding the right policy for your circumstances may be far less expensive than many customers expect. Although it may require a certain degree of perseverance to find the best car insurance deal for your particular situation, this has to be far better than the risky alternatives that some people seem to be prepared to try. Policy providers have become ever more innovative, with technology and risk data allowing the best car insurance deals to be more accurately tailored to the needs of individual policyholders. It is also worth spending a bit of time looking at the options available from some of the lesser known providers, many of whom provide specialist insurance.

The old adage that 'crime doesn't pay' could well have been specifically written for those people who are considering the 'cash-for-crash' approach. At a minimum, the price is likely to be a criminal record and an inability to obtain insurance in the future. At worst, it may be someone's life.

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© October 2009