Residential streets no longer safe for car parking

Forget notions of dangerous multi-storey car parks - residential streets are the place where most cars are vandalised, according to new research by AA Personal Loans.

At a time when street crime is on the increase across the UK, the findings reveal that many local streets are no longer safe places to park - 43 per cent of British drivers say they have, or know someone who has had, their car vandalised on a residential street.

Overall, nearly three-quarters of drivers (72 per cent) have had deliberate damage inflicted on their cars by people keying, kicking or smashing their car at some time. Although car parks are often regarded as being risky places to park, the research shows that the chance of having damage caused to your car on a residential street is almost twice as likely than if you were parked in a supermarket car park (24%) and over three times more likely than if your car was in a multi-storey car park (13%).

AA Personal Loans asked a GB representative sample of 2,000 Britons about where they have had their car vandalised as part of its ‘Deals on Wheels' research.

The most common vandalism hotspots:

Where cars have been vandalised - % of people who have experienced damage to their cars

In a Residential Street 43%
In a Supermarket Car Park 24%
In a Multi-Story Car Park 13%
In a Shopping Mall Car Park 10%
On a High Street 9%
In a Private Driveway 8%

So where's the safest place to park?

The best places to park to avoid vandalism are at a hospital or doctor's surgery car park, outside a school, in an airport car park, outside a restaurant, in a church car park or outside church, all with just 3 per cent chance of vandalism.

Drivers in the North of England are most likely to have their car deliberately damaged, 74 per cent claiming damage has been caused to their car while parked. Scots are least likely to suffer car vandalism but even so, 70 per cent still say they have been victims of this crime.

And...

...although a police station is the safest place to leave your car, 1% of the respondents still say their car has been vandalised while parked in one!

Mark Huggins, Head of AA Personal Loans says: "A car is a serious financial investment and finding it vandalised is frustrating, heartbreaking and of course expensive. If you are paying for your car with a personal loan, the last thing you want is the added financial burden of sorting out repairs so it's worth thinking about where you park.

"For example, if you are out and about, choose well-lit car parks preferably with good security such as cctv even if it means a bit of a walk or a higher parking fee. And although it's not always possible to park off road at home, try to park in a well-lit spot and take simple precautions like folding in the side mirrors to reduce the risk of them being knocked off. It's also worth investing in a visible theft deterrent such as a steering wheel clamp. And never, ever leave anything valuable on show in the car."

Additional Costs of Parking on the Street

Mark Huggins also points out that, according to AA Insurance, leaving your car in a locked garage overnight can make between 7 per cent (in a rural community) to 35 per cent (in an inner city environment) difference to the insurance premium you would pay.