‘Tis the season for car park collisions
December is the worst month for car park collisions, with one collision causing $22,000 worth of damage.
Shoppers are 22% more likely to have a car park collision in December than any other month, according to data from RAA Insurance. On top of that, the cost of repairing these collisions has more than doubled in the past four years now that many cars have expensive sensors embedded into the bumpers.
This makes the festive season a potentially expensive proposition for the frantic Christmas shopper, over and above all the gifts. Just ask the driver who made a claim with RAA involving $22,000 worth of damage from a single car park collision. In that case, the driver hit a luxury SUV so hard that the SUV smashed into the car that was parked next to it.
RAA Claims Manager Hayley Cain said key contributors to these collisions are inattention and impatience, resulting in drivers misjudging distances, parking haphazardly or failing to make sure the way is clear.
"We urge all drivers to take extra time to park safely, even if it means walking another 60 seconds to the shops. Patience and consideration in car parks will go a long way to minimise the likelihood of damage," Cain said in a statement.
Protecting yourself from car park collisions
To add fuel to the fire, more than one in ten drivers say they'd drive off without leaving a note if they dinged your car in the car park. In that case, you'd be on the hook for the repairs unless you had comprehensive car insurance.
Comprehensive car insurance will cover damage to your car when you cause the damage or when someone else does, but you can't get the money from them. This includes hit-and-runs, being hit by an uninsured driver, or even being hit by one of those phantom runaway shopping trolleys that come out of nowhere.
You can even save money on comprehensive car insurance by comparing options and choosing one that offers what you need at a price that's right for you.
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