No one wants to come back to their parked car after shopping and see that it’s been hit. Here’s how to minimize the chances of damage, and what to do if someone hits your parked car.
How to prevent your car from being hit while parked
Park away
Where you park your car while you’re out is the most important factor when it comes to preventing accidents. Park further away to lower the chances of someone parking next to you. Corner or end spots are the best, as your chances of getting a door ding go down by 50%. You may have to walk a bit further, but avoiding other cars is the best way to keep others from dinging you.
Park properly
How you park also matters. Make sure you’re within the lines and have space to open your doors. Avoid parking in tight spaces or next to other cars that have parked poorly. Make sure there is enough space for you to easily pull in or out.
Choose wisely
Be choosy about the cars you park near when you have to. Don’t park next to coupes (two door cars) or large family vehicles. Coupes have longer doors, while families may have children running about who may be careless when it comes to getting in the car.
Avoid peak times
If you can avoid shopping during peak times, you’ll have a better chance at avoiding bumps and scrapes. After all, less cars in the lot means a lower chance of being hit.
Watch out for carts
Even if you park away from other cars, there are still some hazards to watch out for. Unfortunately, many people do not return their carts to the corral and leave them in the parking lot. Shopping carts can get blown by the wind and hit your car, so avoid spots where carts are lurking.
Install a dash cam
Dash cams are not only great for the road, they’re also extremely useful when your car is parked. Many models can be wired to record even when the car is parked and off. This can give you some peace of mind knowing that if anything does happen to your car while it’s parked, the camera may pick it up and help find the responsible party.
What to do if your parked car is hit
Sometimes, the driver who hit your parked car will leave a note with their contact information on it. After speaking with them, contact your insurance carrier and report the accident to start your claim. Take pictures of the damage to send to your claims representative.
If there isn’t a note, the first thing you should do is call the police and get a police report. If your car is in a parking garage or in the lot of a local business, there’s a good chance there will be video surveillance that may have recorded the accident and the license plate of the other vehicle.
If the other driver is identified, you may be able to recover damages from their insurance coverage. Otherwise, your own collision coverage will help pay for damages from something hitting your parked car.
Having your car hit while parked is stressful enough; filing a claim shouldn’t be. That’s why we designed our auto claim services to simplify the claims process. Our friendly claims representatives will guide you through every step of the way.
