Just popping to the shops! A ‘Drive-Thru Bubble Wrap’ machine was spotted in a busy car park, to help shoppers avoid damage and dinks, which are a cause of concern for a whopping 92% of Brits.
And it’s no wonder, as research of 2,000 drivers from AA Accident Assist has found that one in four admit they’ve accidentally caused damage to another car in a supermarket car park, with more than half (53%) also having had it happen to them.
TV’s Scarlett Moffatt, was the first to trial the tongue-in-cheek drive-thru at Bluewater Shopping Centre – dramatising the extremes you could go to protect your car from prangs and bumps, if you don’t have Accident Assist, a 24/7 claims support service for AA members.
Other extremes include parking over two spaces (11%) in a bid to avoid dents, and deliberately parking next to the flashiest car they can find in the hope they’ll be super-careful with their own doors (18%). A shocking 7% have also pulled into a trolley bay for added assurance.
Half (53%) have gone the extra mile to protect their cars from others’ ‘bad driving’ – including parking in the furthest away space.
As many as 23% would be ‘very interested’ in paying for a space with a ‘dent free guarantee’ rather than risk scrapes from others more careless than themselves.
Scarlett Moffatt, who took 14 attempts to pass her test, said: “Car parks can be a nightmare, especially with the size of some cars these days. It’s no small wonder people are afraid of getting their own vehicle scraped or dinged, and how many have accidentally done it to someone else.”
Scarlett is not alone, 54% said they would feel more confident knowing that if they did get into a scrape, someone else would deal with the hassle for them, with 62% of those polled confessing to being a nervous driver. 11% of drivers don’t even know where to start when it comes to making a claim.
More than four in 10 (44%) would be annoyed at all the admin in getting a dent mended, and just 28% would be very confident in knowing the steps to take to get their car fixed.
