Beware the shopping centre car park this holiday season, when dents, dings and scratches increase because of higher
volumes of trolleys and traffic.
AA Insurance claims data shows that in the 12 months to 30 November nearly 11% of all car claims were accidents caused
to parked cars. Around 16% of these happened over the Christmas period (Dec 2018 - Jan 2019) and at a cost of almost
$3.5 million.
“One third of Kiwis have had their car damaged by a dreaded run-away trolley, according to the 2019 AA Insurance
Lifestyle Survey,” says Amelia Macandrew, Customer Relations Manager, AA Insurance, “usually while at the supermarket.
Meanwhile over half of us have returned to our parked cars to find them damaged.”
Of those returning to a damaged car, 86% of Kiwis hadn’t received a note from the person who caused the damage. This is
despite seven in 10 drivers saying they wouldn’t hesitate to leave their details should they accidentally damage another
person’s parked car, even if no one saw them.
“The disconnect between what people say they’ll do and what they actually do when it comes to car park accidents has
become a common theme in our annual lifestyle survey, especially when no one sees them causing the damage,” says Amelia.
“The reality is that most people don’t leave a note, despite it being a legal requirement to give your details and
registration number to the owner within 48-hours, or if you can’t find them, to report the accident to police within 60
hours.
“Aside from the legality, leaving your details is the right thing to do, and at this time of year we would hope people
show some Christmas spirit and own up to their mistake. We know how frustrating it is for customers to find their car
damaged, not to mention when the person responsible doesn’t leave their details,” she says.
“If we don’t know who did the damage, we can’t contact them or their insurer to manage the claim, which means the owner
of the car must claim on their own insurance and pay an excess or pay for the damage themselves if it is minor.”
If you do know who has damaged your car, then gather their details before making a claim with your insurer, says Amelia.
Alternatively, someone may have done it for you. For example, one customer returned to her car after visiting her friend
in hospital to discover the police waiting for her. They had been called because another driver had caused damage to
several other cars in the parking lot, including over $1,000 worth to the back bumper and driver’s side door of her
vehicle.
Despite the number of parked car accidents, almost all survey respondents thought they were careful and obeyed the road
rules in car parks*, at least most of the time; 93% used road rules in car parks such as giving way to other cars and
using indicators, 94% checked before opening car doors, and 95% carefully chose where to open doors.
One of the most common car park collisions involves two drivers reversing out of opposing car parks and driving into
each other. In this instance, both drivers are generally deemed at fault, which means each needs to claim through their
own insurer or pay for their own damage. Another common occurrence is when a reversing driver doesn’t see another moving
vehicle, like the driver who backed out of a car park and into the front passenger side door of our customer’s car as he
was driving through the parking lot, causing $2,500 worth of damage.
“At this time of year, when shopping areas are busy and there are more cars, shoppers and young children about, take
your time in the car park, be a courteous driver, check thoroughly before reversing out of a park and know where your
blind spot is,” says Amelia. “As they say, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Tips for avoiding Christmas car park collisions
Drive according to the road rules. Indicate to let people know where you’re headed, use your mirrors to see other
drivers/pedestrians before reversing.
Most drivers like to park as close as possible to their destination, so make a point of parking at the far end of the
car park instead.
Park away from where people are most likely to leave their trolleys, including trolley bays, pavements closest to the
store’s entrance, and traffic islands.
Don’t shop during peak hours when car parks are at a premium. Early morning, or later into the evening should be less
congested.
Shop local and park down side streets, or parallel park instead.
Leave the car at home and take public transport instead, shop online, or get all your main shopping done early.
2019 AA Insurance Lifestyle Survey Stats
53% have had car damaged while parked
Of these drivers, 86% were not left a note by the person who had damaged their car
68% of drivers said they wouldn’t hesitate to leave their details if they damaged another person’s car
31% of drivers have had their car damaged by a trolley e.g. at the supermarket
93% of drivers use road rules in the car park, such as giving way to other cars and using indicators (18-29 92%, 45-59
93%, 60+ 97%)
94% check before opening car doors (18-29 91% vs 60+ 97%)
95% carefully choose where to open doors (18-29 91%, 45-59 98%, 60+ 98%)
94% agreed to the importance of having car insurance if you are driving (18-29 76% vs 60+ 89%)
*In 2019, AAI surveyed 1,019 respondents aged 18 years+ about driving. The maximum margin of error on the total sample
of n=1,019 is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
* According to the NZTA* a car park is still a place the public has access to, and you should apply road rules at all
times such as keeping to the left, indicating and giving way. www.nzta.govt.nz
ends