Cars most likely to be damaged in carparks - AAI

While you may not risk your life in a carpark, it is the place your car is most likely to get damaged, according to figures from AA Insurance.

In a survey of 3708 drivers, 73 per cent reported having had their car damaged while parked and over half had lost a car park to another driver despite clearly waiting for it, the company said.

Worse still, a surprising number of New Zealanders do not come clean after damaging another car.

The AA Insurance Drivers Index found that of those who had their car damaged while parked, a staggering 91 per cent returned to find not a single contact detail from the person responsible - despite this being a legal obligation.

"Despite these high levels of non-compliance, it seems that Kiwis aren't even honest about their lack of honesty," said AA Insurance deputy general manager Martin Fox.

Nineteen per cent of Aucklanders said they would think twice about leaving their details, compared to 16 per cent of Wellingtonians and 13 per cent of Christchurch residents.

Young drivers were also less likely to leave their details after damaging a car, with 28 per cent of 18-24-year-old respondents admitting they would think twice about it, compared to only 16 per cent of 35-54-year-olds.

"Drivers feeling frustrated or impatient are more likely to have accidents, so we urge motorists to take it easy and remember - it's only a parking space!" Mr Martin said.

On average, AA Insurance receives over 250 claims a month from customers who have had their car damaged while parked, with an average claim of $1480 each.

- NZPA