Deliberate 'Thud' When Reversing on Side Roads... Types of Intentional Car Accidents Revealed

The number of suspects who deliberately caused car accidents to claim insurance last year reached 155, an increase of 46 (42.2%) compared to the previous year (109).

On the 1st, the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) announced that it investigated 1,825 cases of deliberate car accidents last year and identified 155 suspects who fraudulently obtained 9.4 billion KRW in insurance payments, referring them for prosecution. The average insurance payout per suspect was approximately 61 million KRW.

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Among the suspects, those in their 20s and 30s accounted for a high proportion of 78.8%. They conspired in advance with acquaintances or family members to deliberately cause accidents to cover living expenses or entertainment costs. The majority of the suspects were workers in transportation (delivery) with irregular or fluctuating income, self-employed individuals, and those engaged in automobile-related businesses. Roles among suspects were divided such that two or more people shared the roles of perpetrator and victim drivers, or multiple people rode together in the vehicle involved in the deliberate accident, acting as passengers.

Looking at the main types of accidents, deliberate accidents were caused targeting vehicles violating traffic laws with high fault on the other party, such as failure to comply with lane changes (62.5%), violation of intersection traffic rules (11.7%), and reversing on general roads (7%). They deliberately collided by not slowing down or accelerating when confirming the opposing vehicle changing lanes. They also made contact by proceeding without slowing down when entering intersections or when the opposing vehicle was turning left or right. In some cases, they caused deliberate accidents by not avoiding or stopping when the opposing vehicle was reversing on general roads.

Among all accident cases, private cars accounted for the largest number with 1,090 cases (60.6%). Rental cars accounted for 364 cases (20.2%), and two-wheeled vehicles for 245 cases (13.6%). Compared to 2022, deliberate accidents involving rental cars increased, while those involving two-wheeled vehicles or private cars showed a decreasing trend. The use of rental cars for fraud appears to be increasing due to the burden of insurance premium surcharges and vehicle value depreciation when using private cars in deliberate accidents.

The FSS also provided guidance on how to respond to prevent damage from deliberate car accidents. Insurance fraudsters cause deliberate accidents targeting vehicles with serious violations where the other party is mostly at fault (such as signal violations, wrong-way driving, drunk driving), lane changes, and failure to maintain safe distances. Therefore, to avoid becoming a victim of deliberate car accidents, it is essential to comply with traffic laws and practice safe driving habits such as maintaining safe distances. Special attention should be paid to the three major accident types (lane changes, intersections, reversing), which account for the largest proportion, and remember the response methods for each type of deliberate accident.

When changing lanes, do not force your way in; ensure sufficient distance from the following vehicle in the lane you want to enter, turn on the turn signal, and change lanes without being slower than the following vehicle’s speed. At intersections, comply with traffic rules such as yielding when making unprotected left turns if vehicles are going straight from the opposite direction. When reversing, always turn on the hazard lights and check behind using the rearview mirror, paying attention to approaching two-wheeled vehicles and pedestrians. Maintain a sufficient safe distance from the vehicle ahead to prevent rear-end collisions caused by sudden stops (due to lane changes, signal changes, etc.). Prohibit traffic violations such as drunk driving, crossing the center line, illegal U-turns, signal violations, and wrong-way driving on one-way streets. Be cautious of pedestrians passing close to vehicles on narrow roads without clear separation between road and sidewalk (alleyways) and at crosswalks.

If a traffic accident occurs and deliberate accident is suspected, immediately notify the police and insurance company to request assistance. Be cautious when deciding on on-site settlements and secure evidence such as dashcam footage, photos of the scene, and witness contact information. Even after handling the traffic accident, if deliberate accident is suspected, actively report it to the FSS or the insurance company’s insurance fraud reporting center.

An FSS official stated, "We will strengthen traffic accident prevention activities at intersections and other locations where frequent deliberate accidents were identified during this ongoing investigation."

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