Have your car insurance bills been higher in recent years? Fraud investigators, politicians, and the insurance industry agree: the booming crime of staged auto accidents may be partially to blame. “It is driving up the cost of auto insurance and all drivers are paying for it,” said Lynne McChristian of the Insurance Information Institute, which represents the insurance industry. McChristian says part of the reason the average driver is paying more for car insurance is because of staged accidents. She says Florida drivers in 2010 spent an extra $49 each to cover the cost of staged accidents.