Survey reveals drivers would rather live with the damage or pay for repairs themselves than make a claim following an accident in a car park.
Research carried out by One Poll on behalf of Budget Insurance has shown that just 15% of drivers whose cars have been damaged in a car park went on to claim on their car insurance, with more than one in three (37.5%) simply living with the damage to save on expensive garage bills, potentially jeopardising the future resale value of their cars by leaving dents and scratches unrepaired.
A further third (36.4% of those polled), chose to pay for repairs themselves to avoid making a claim, indicating a reluctance to lose their no-claims bonus or risk an increase in insurance premiums.
1,000 drivers whose cars had been damaged while in a car park were asked what damage was done to their vehicle:
- 77% had suffered a minor scratch or dent while stationery
- 33% had been reversed into
- 32% had had their bumper damaged
- 24% had scraped their car on a pillar in a multi-storey car park
- 19% had hit it on an obstacle (pillar, trolley, bollard etc)
- 18% had an accident while in motion
- 12% had reversed into someone
Drivers were also asked to rate their top car parking bugbears, with several of the top answers relating to damage or fear of damage to their vehicles, including people parking too close to their car (49%), those who open their doors carelessly risking damage to neighbouring vehicles (40%) and people who damage their cars without leaving a note (47%), while a quarter of respondents cited a dislike of navigating tight corners in multi-storey car parks.
Speaking about the research, Mark Townsend, Managing Director of Budget Insurance, said:
“Whilst our research shows that the majority of impacts in car parks are thankfully minor, it’s concerning to hear that many people are being left out of pocket or putting up with unsightly damage to their vehicles because of the cost of repairs and fear of losing their no claims bonus.
“Many people may not be aware of the existence of stand-alone policies to cover just this kind of eventuality.
“For under £6 a month, Budget Insurance Scratch and Dent cover offers drivers reassurance that those annoying and potentially expensive bumps and scratches can be repaired without affecting their no claims bonus.”
Notes to Editors
About the research
The research was carried out by One Poll on behalf of Budget Insurance. 1,000 UK drivers aged 18+ were asked to rank their top parking bugbears. 1,000 UK drivers aged 18+ who had had their car damaged in a car park were asked what they did in response to the damage. Fieldwork was carried out from 13-17 October 2016.
About Budget Insurance
To date, Budget Insurance has helped almost 3 million customers across the country find great value home, car, van and life insurance products. For motor and home insurance policies Budget works with a UK network of leading insurers and for Life Insurance policies with a selected insurer so customers can be sure they’re getting great cover, at a great price.
Budget Insurance’s comprehensive car and van insurance has been awarded a 5 Star Rating by Defaqto Budget Insurance is part of the BGL Group.
About BGL Group
BGL Group is a leading digital distributor of household finance products to more than eight million customers. The Group owns and operates the UK’s most loved price comparison website, comparethemarket.com, and also the market-leading French price comparison website, lesfurets.com. The websites offer customers market visibility and best value for money across a growing range of products including motor, home, life, travel and pet insurance as well as utilities and money products such as credit cards and loans.
BGL Group also owns and operates a substantial personal lines insurance distribution and outsourcing business, containing insurance brands Dial Direct and Budget Insurance, as well as the online life insurance provider, BeagleStreet.com. The Group’s brands use proprietary technology platforms providing sophisticated data analysis to drive compelling customer propositions. We also operate state of the art contact centres through our Fusion business.
BGL Group’s own brands are trading names of BISL Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. More details are available on www.bglgroup.co.uk
BISL Ltd, part of the BGL Group, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered Address: Pegasus House, Bakewell Road, Orton Southgate, PE2 6YS. Registered in England no 3231094.