‘I’m a mechanic – motorists are destroying their cars due to these parking mistakes’

A mechanic has revealed the extent of damage caused in car parks across the UK with almost all vehicles affected.

James Hill, spokesperson for Hills Car Body Repairs, warned motorists were regularly catching their door when getting out of their vehicles or colliding with bollards.

He warned some damage can be “quite severe” with some problems so severe drivers need to visit a garage for immediate repairs.

It comes after new research from Churchill Motor Insurance revealed the rising issue of parking as vehicles continue to grow but spaces stay the same size.

Analysis shows the average vehicle width has risen from 168cm to 180cm while spaces are still following guidelines set in the 1970s.

Speaking to BBC News, James said: “Almost every single car that sort of comes into the shop has had like a minor car park dent.

“Someone’s opened the door, caught the panel, took the paint off and it needs a repair.

“The most common that we end up seeing is the bollard damage because it’s quite severe.

“Sometimes the smaller car park dents where people open the door on the car, people just leave it and think I’ll pass it on or leave it until a later date when it needs fixing.

“Whereas with the bollard damage, it sort of needs instant repair before it starts to rust or galvanise on the aluminium panels.”

According to new research, one-third of owners damaged their vehicle in a car park last year.

Data from Churchill shows that the average cost of repairs after sustaining parking damage was a staggering £223.50.

It is believed that car park damage may be costing UK drivers around £424million every year. Two in five road users said they had struggled to get in or out of their vehicle at least once every month.

Meanwhile, 22 percent said they had been forced to leave their cars through the boot on at least one occasion.

The British Parking Association claims bays should be a minimum of 240cm wide.

This would leave just 30cm on each side for road users to work with, increasing the risk of contact.

Churchill boss Nicholas Mantel explained: “Widening cars combined with parking bays that haven’t been redesigned to accommodate today’s models means motorists all over the country are at risk of damaging their cars, through no fault of their own.”

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