The “Crash for Cash” scam has been around for a while now, but recent research from Direct Line has come up with a list of the top ten places where this type of incident is most likely to occur.

This insurance fraud is carried out by criminals who cause an accident to happen by slamming on their brakes, at a roundabout or slip road for instance, making the driver behind crash into them; they then claim for repairs, and often fictitious injuries, from the other driver’s insurance company.

Not only does this put innocent lives at risk but it also costs the insurance industry huge sums of money each year (in the region of £350 million), the costs of which are passed on indirectly to law abiding motorists. In addition, if you are unlucky enough to have a genuine accident at a known hotspot you will find that insurance companies, perhaps understandably, have their suspicions aroused and launch an enquiry, meaning a delay in settling the claim.

The top ten hotspots are:

• Centenary Way, Trafford Park, Manchester
• The Haslingden roundabout at Junction 5 of the M65
• The Scotland Road roundabout at Junction 13 of the M65
• The Gannow Top roundabout on Cavalry Way in Burnley
• The Eden Point roundabout on the A34 in Stockport
• The Denham roundabout on the M40
• Jarman Park on the A414 in Hemel Hempstead
• Parkway Uxbridge Road connecting the A312 to the A4020
• Port Way / Strand Road junction in Preston
• The Junction 24 roundabout of the M25

Kate Lotts of Direct Line says that the top ten list is just a small proportion of the data shared within the insurance industry and stresses that, with increasingly sophisticated technology available, the fraudsters have cause to worry. She added that Direct Line believes in taking the harshest possible approach in seeking penalties in order to protect the honest motorist.

If, like a third of the UK population, you have more than one car in your household, you might think the cheapest way to insure them is with a multi-vehicle policy. After all, you are giving the insurance company more business and making it easier for them to bill.

In the same way that it makes financial sense to have the one provider for your telephone, television and internet you would think that bulk buying car insurance would work on the same principle. This is not, however, always the case. In fact, according to swiftcover.com some of us may be paying twice as much as we would if we took out separate policies and, on average, we are paying around 60% more than we should.

Owning a second car has been on the rise over the years. In 1980 only 15% of us had access to two cars. In 1990 it was 23% and in 2008 it was 32%. In rural areas, understandably, the proportion of households with more than one car is greater (47% as opposed to only 17% in London).

At times like this when we are all seeking to cut back on household expenditure it makes sense not only to do one’s homework when it comes to choosing which insurance company to use but also to consider whether we do in fact need two cars.

Even if you do not want to part with your second car, could you save yourself some money on a short term basis by declaring it off road? If your second car does only a few thousand miles a year could you save money by using an insurer who takes this into account? If you have two large cars could you get by with just a small run around car as your second vehicle? By making small changes not only could you help your finances but you could also benefit the environment at the same time.

Recent research from More Th>n reveals that Tiger Woods is not the only person to have been “driven to distraction” by a row with his wife. 1183 drivers in a relationship were asked about their driving habits after a row and it seems that “romantic” or “relationship road rage” could account for 2.5 million accidents on Britain’s roads.

It is not rocket science to deduce that driving when you are angry or upset is never a good idea but getting into the driving seat after a row really could be dangerous, with drivers admitting to driving erratically, aggressively or in a distracted fashion as a direct result of emotional turmoil.

More Th>n have got together with a relationship psychologist to work out just how different types of rows can affect you emotionally and what effect they are likely to have on your driving; they also recommend a cooling down period according to the type of row.

• The Silent Treatment – at least 5 min cooling off required to avoid releasing frustration by speeding
• The Snide Remark – at least 10 min cooling off required to avoid turning one’s anger towards other motorists
• The Heated Debate – at least 15 min cooling off required to avoid losing concentration
• The Exchange of Cross Words – at least 30 min cooling off required to avoid driving erratically
• The Blazing Row – at least 60 min cooling off required to avoid driving in a risky, aggressive and distracted fashion

There are also a number of recommendations from the psychologist, ranging from calling a friend so that you feel listened to, to deep breathing, depending on the nature of the spat.