17 Sep 2013
  • Not enough space to park

In a Tight Spot?

Problems parking? What do you blame it on? Bad eyesight, dodgy steering or maybe bad parking of the guy beside you. However, what you may not have considered is that the car itself is just too big.

Cars have gradually got bigger and broader over the years yet despite this, car parking spaces have remained the same size for the last 20 years. Crazy we know, but a study has found that cars are now 16% bigger/ 2 inches wider than the parking spaces provided.

So if you manage to squeeze your Ford Focus or similar into a space without having to fold in your wing mirrors, the chances are you’ll find yourself doing a very ungraceful shuffle trying to get out without scratching the car next to you. In fact 50% of car park ‘mishaps’ are actually caused by door scraping, with bumpers at 14% and wing mirrors at a cracking 13% .

According to Halfords and G3 Pro, who specialize in fixing damaged paintwork, approximately 10 million motorists a year are finding themselves forking out for scuffed spots and scratched paint. On average, British drivers pay out £50/ £500 million a year having touch ups done to their vehicles.

In a survey, it was found that 38% of drivers found supermarket car parks the worst for prangs and scratches, 29% found shopping centre car parks the worst and station car parks came out with 18%.

If you've been pranged in a car park or had a bumper bashed by another motorist, thenWinns are here to help. 

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