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Three million motorists admit to “bump and run” driving.
By: Kate Ellis

Britain is proving itself to be a nation without a conscience as three million* (9 per cent) motorists admit to crashing into other parked cars and driving off without owning up.

Research undertaken by Direct Line Car Insurance** shows that while a large number of drivers (44 per cent) felt guilty about doing a ‘bump and run’, one in five (20 per cent) didn’t give it a second thought. Fourteen per cent were more worried they had been seen by other people or even caught on CCTV cameras (5 per cent) than about the damage they had caused.

Of those who left the scene of the ‘accident’ without coming clean, half justified themselves by saying the damage was only minor (26 per cent) or not really worth the bother of leaving details (24 per cent). Fourteen per cent said that because no-one had seen them do it, they thought they could get away with it.

A third (33 per cent) of those who had their car damaged by another driver paid for the repairs themselves, with over one in 10 (11 per cent) claiming on their car insurance. Half of cars (51 per cent) damaged in ‘bump and runs’ still bear the evidence, as their owners have yet to do anything about it.

Tony Chilcott, Head of Car Insurance at Direct Line said, “Bumping another car can happen so easily, and while it may be tempting to drive off, it’s worth remembering that it is a crime to do so. To be on the receiving end of a ‘bump and run’ can be upsetting, especially if it means you have to make a car insurance claim for damage you didn’t cause.”

As many as seven in 10 (70 per cent) motorists have themselves fallen victim to damage caused by other drivers. Three quarters (74 per cent) felt angry that someone had driven off after hitting their car, with just two per cent admitting this meant they probably deserved it as they had done it to someone else in the past.

Parking misdemeanours top the list as the most common cause of ‘bump and run’ accidents, whether in a supermarket car park (30 per cent), shopping centre car park (15 per cent) or whilst parked in a residential road (13 per cent).

Damaged paintwork is the most frequent result of ‘bump and runs’ (35 per cent), followed by bumper damage (25 per cent) and damage to the wing mirror (14 per cent).

Direct Line’s research highlights the top ‘bump and run’ hazards:
• Hitting another car when parking (41 per cent)
• Hitting another vehicle when driving down a narrow street (23 per cent)
• Opening the car door into another car (16 per cent)
• Reversing out of driveways into another car (4 per cent)

Tony Chilcott continued: “There are things you can do to help minimise these ‘accidents’, such as parking away from other cars in well lit areas with CCTV. Also ensure that you pull in the wing mirror when parked on narrow roads.”

Other findings from the research reveal:
• Both sexes agree that men are more likely to ‘bump and run’ than women
• Six per cent of drivers felt so guilty after ‘bumping and running’ that they returned to the scene of the crime and left a note.