#illinois

With so many people falling on hard times in this economy, some folks will do anything to earn a buck. That includes faking a car accident to make ends meet.

According to a recent report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), questionable claims (QC) resulting from staged accidents have increased 46 percent from 2007 through 2009. On a somewhat positive note, legitimate insurance claims have shrunken a bit, but this is only because there are fewer cars on the road, a by-product of fewer jobs.

What makes this type of crime so popular is that unless someone becomes suspicious, many of these staged accidents go undetected. Along with the fact that it’s a criminal offence and they defraud insurance companies out of millions of dollars (which in turn raises the premiums for the rest of us), staged accidents often involve innocent victims who are obeying the law, and can result in serious injury and death.

Florida takes the lead in all states with 3,006 QCs in 2009, with New York following in second with 1,680. Rounding out the top five are California (1,619), Texas (792) and Illinois (433). Out of the top offending cities, New York City leads the way, but Florida comes in strong with three offending cities (Tampa, 562; Miami, 511; and Orlando, 422). Houston closes out the list with 376 QCs.

The NICB has created a series of videos that get the message across by demonstrating some of the most common types of staged accidents. You can watch them at www.nicb.org.

Official release after the jump:

Chicago-area Audi dealers have formed a partnership with the Autobahn Country Club, that will give the race track the use of an Audi S5 and TTS Coupe for its high-performance driving school.

The Audi dealers are now the official sponsors of ‘The Autobahn Experience’, a high-performance program for those interested in improving their driving skills. Autobahn’s professional instructors will give lessons both on the autocross and on the race track in the 265hp TTS Coupe and the 354hp S5, both of which feature AWD and are capable of hitting 60 mph in 4.9 seconds.

“When looking for an exclusive partner in Chicagoland to provide hands-on customer excitement, Autobahn Country Club was the clear choice,” said Scott Zuercher, Area General Manager for Chicago, Audi of America. “The proximity to Chicago, high-quality facilities, and staff expertise all contributed to making the project become a reality. This is a great opportunity for customers to test drive the latest Audi performance models. Our dealer partners in Chicagoland all benefit from the investment of customer enjoyment and familiarization with the Audi brand.”

Along with “The Autobahn Experience,” the Autobahn race track, Located in Joliet, Ill., also features one, two and half-day driving schools, a teen defensive education program and training for Chicagoland police departments.

For more information visit the Autobahn Country Club website here:

http://www.autobahncountryclub.net/

Official release after the jump:

Several weeks ago we reported that Subaru of America was looking to set a Guinness World Record for the longest parade of Subarus and over the weekend they achieved that goal. Organized by Subaru of America’s Great Lakes Region and the Village of Itasca, Illinois, the chain of Subys stretched a total of 339 cars.

Yup, that’s a lot of turbocharged boxer engines and a total of 1,356 all-wheel drive wheels.

For achieving their goal, as promised, Subaru’s Great Lakes Region made a donation of $3,500 each to PAWS Chicago and Salute, Inc.

See the official Guinness posting below:

http://community.guinnessworldrecords.com/_The-largest-parade-of-Subaru-cars/blog/432363/7691.html

[Photo Credit: Drive Magazine]

Official release after the jump:

Subaru of America is looking to set a Guinness World Record for the largest parade of Subys… er, Subies… um, Barus? And its reaching out to fanatical, AWD, boxer engine owners to help.

Subaru and the Subaru Great Lakes Region is asking owners from all over the country to meet on July 11 at 500 Park Boulevard in Itasca, Illinois.

The parade coincides with Itasca Fest, an annual fun for the whole family event that includes live entertainment, carnival rides and kids games.

Participants will receive a gift bag (one per car) and Subaru’s Great Lakes Region will donate $15 per car (to a maximum of $7,000) to PAWS Chicago and Salute, Inc. And knowing how fanatical Subaru owners are, they should probably just write the $7,000 check now.

Any Subaru owners interested in participating are asked to register here:

Subaru Parade

[Photo Credit: PicassaWeb]

Official release after the jump: