The car insurance claimant not smart enough to understand his 'intelligent' key
The advent of 'intelligent' systems in cars was seen as a boon to cheaper car insurance quotes, because of their ability to make the car less likely to crash or be stolen. However, a driver from Hartlepool was recently foxed by his 'intelligent' key after attempting to defraud his motor cover provider.
The 34-year-old man reported to police that his £12,500 Mini Cooper had been stolen on New Year's Eve 2008 from outside his girlfriend's house. The next day he put a claim in to his insurer and if things had gone to (his) plan he would have come away with a cheque for around £10,750.
But, this particular model could not be driven without the original key, and when police took a reading from a spare key it was revealed that an extra 1,500 miles had been clocked up after the date the car had been reported stolen.
The man, at first, denied any wrongdoing, but eventually admitted in court had that he had attempted to defraud his car insurance provider. He was sentenced to 48 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, and will have to complete 200 hours of unpaid community work.
Some other examples of 'smart' technology in cars
- Adaptive cruise control
- Adaptive headlamps
- Advanced Automatic Collision Notification
- Automatic Collision Notification
- Automatic Parking
- Automotive night vision with pedestrian detection
- Driver Monitoring System
- Driverless car
- Intelligent speed adaptation
- Pre-crash system
Of course stories of drivers who thought that having 'cruise control' would enable them to have a nap at the wheel do occasionally hit the headlines and it is probably a sad thing to say, but it seems sometimes that cars are getting 'smarter' than the drivers.
However, for most car owners, the arrival of such technologies can only be a boon, as systems that make many aspects of driving less dangerous, and the theft of vehicles less likely, are of-course going to please owners. They will probably please insurance providers as well.
Remember though, before you attempt to dupe your car insurance company, make sure your car is not more 'intelligent' than you are