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What to do if you hit a parked car

Stay calm, you’re not the first person to hit a parked vehicle, and you won’t be the last. What matters is how you handle the situation and whatever you do don’t just drive off.

What you should do:

  • Stop; If you drive away without stopping you’ll be guilty of an offence under the Road Traffic Act.
  • Leave your details; Name, address and registration number. If you’re not the vehicle owner you’ll also need to leave their details. If you can’t see the driver just tuck it under the windscreen wiper with an apology.
  • Report the incident; you need to report the incident to the police on 101 (the non-emergency police number) within 24 hours in order to comply with the Road Traffic Act.
  • Notes; Take note and pictures if you like of any details that may be useful for insurance purposes. Time, date, location, weather conditions, damage.
  • Contact your insurance provider; as soon as you can, even if you’re not planning to claim. Give them the details of what happened, along with any pictures or contact details.

Bumps and scrapes to vehicles in parking lots are more common than you might think, so don’t beat yourself up over it, just make sure to do the right thing if it does happen.

At Swansway Accident Repair Centre we're pros at all kinds of minor repairs, give us a call today on 01270 864358 for a free no obligation quote.