Few drivers do the right thing after hitting a parked car

CRAIG SIMCOX/ The Dominion Post

DAMAGE DONE, NO DETAILS, NO SURPRISE: Ambrose Plaister, who had the wing mirror on his car smashed, was not surprised that no-one owned up to causing the damage.

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An astonishing nine out of 10 New Zealand drivers don't leave their contact details after hitting a parked car.

An AA Insurance survey shows almost three-quarters of New Zealand drivers have returned to find their car damaged. Of those hit, 91 per cent had not been left a note.

The average amount claimed for a car damaged while parked is about $1480, figures show.

Berhampore driver Ambrose Plaister's wing mirror is missing after it was smashed in a hit-and-run a few months ago.

Mr Plaister, an investment analyst, returned to find the mirror missing with no note of explanation after he left it parked outside his house for half an hour.

"I wasn't that shocked, to be honest. I hear about it happening all the time. It would have been more of a shock if someone had [left their details]."

The lack of honesty was symptomatic of the way people dealt with each other in cities, he said.

It was not worth getting an insurance payout for the $500 it would take to replace the mirror as he would have to pay excess and lose his no-claims bonus.

He is waiting to find a second-hand wing mirror to avoid the expense of a new one.

"It's huge. I just bought a house. There's been a lot of expenses, it's a bit crippling."

Wellington panelbeater Matthew Poduje said he saw up to five cars a week which had been the victim of a parked hit-and-run.

People rarely used insurance as the cost of fixing the cars often matched the cost of the excess, he said. "People don't get annoyed until they find out how much it's going to cost [to fix]. Even little dents are expensive because you still have to paint the whole panel."

Senior Sergeant Brett Callander was worried these incidents would increase over the upcoming month.

Driving standards declined as a result of increased speeds and alcohol consumption which was "definitely something that comes out more at Christmas time", he said.

Wellington police got reports of parked cars being hit by an unknown person weekly, he said.

"On average AA Insurance receives over 250 claims a month from customers who have had their car damaged while parked," AA Insurance deputy general manager Martin Fox said.

"Damage ranges from dents, scratched paint, broken lights or mirrors to more serious damage."

AA Insurance surveyed 3708 drivers aged 18-65 for the index.

Young drivers were least likely to leave their details after damaging a car, with 28 per cent of 18- to 24-year-old respondents admitting they would think twice about it, compared with only 16 per cent of 35- to 54-year-olds.

Your Legal Responsibilities

* Drivers who ding an unoccupied car are legally required to stop and report the incident and particulars – including name, address, registration and accident location – to either the owner or the police.

* Failure to do so can lead to fines of up to $5000, a three-month jail term, or a six-month licence disqualification under the Land Transport Act.

- © Fairfax NZ News