New research from Suncorp insurer AAMI reveals each state’s worst car park prang hotspots and provides top tips for a prang-free car parking experience.
Analysis of more than 22,000 car park insurance claims across Australia from October 2023 to September 2024 has revealed December is the worst month for shopping centre car park collisions (2,659), closely followed by November (2,323).
There were about one third (36 per cent) more car park crashes in December than the monthly average for the 12 months to 30 September 2024.
The Melbourne suburb of Doncaster has once again taken out the dubious honour of Australia’s worst hotspot for car park collisions.
AAMI Motor Claims Manager Leah James said the data reflected shopping behaviour of Australians.
“A busy time for shopping means a busy time for car parks, and this is reflected in a spike in collisions over the festive season,” James says.
Best and worst days for car park collisions
According to the research, Saturday has become the worst day to go shopping, with car park prangs spiking (3,703), closely followed by Friday (3,662) and then Thursday (3,514). Sunday is the best day to shop if you want to avoid a car park ding.
The afternoon (between 1-4:30pm) is by far the worst time of day to find yourself in a shopping centre car park, followed by mornings between (6-9:30am), and then peak evening shopping hours (between 4:30-8pm).
Aussie drivers are quick to acknowledge others for bad behaviour behind the wheel, with more than two thirds (60 per cent) having seen others driving too fast, and more than three in five Aussies (64 per cent) seeing another driver double-park or take up two spaces.
Perhaps unsurprisingly though, drivers are less likely to confess when they have committed these cardinal car park sins. Only one in five (20 per cent) admit they’ve driven too fast, and about one in ten (11 per cent) say they’ve double-parked or taken up two spaces.
“Every year we see a similar story unfold, making it even more important to do what you can to stay calm and cautious,” James says.
“Shopping on the quieter days, driving just that little bit slower and staying extra vigilant could be the difference between a smooth ride and a prang this Christmas season.”