The number of accidents in parking lots has increased by 22% – what should drivers watch out for?

Last year, the number of CASCO insurance claims involving damage to cars in parking lots near shops, offices, and residential buildings increased by 22%, according to data compiled by BTA Baltic Insurance Company AAS (hereinafter – BTA). Over the past three years, the largest insurance claim paid of EUR 18,392 for an accident in which the entire left side of a car was damaged when it was leaving a parking lot and collided with another car. According to Ivo Danče, Director of the Insurance Claims Department at BTA, drivers most often associate the risk of accidents with highways, intersections, and high speeds, but in practice, they also regularly occur in parking lots, where manoeuvring options are limited and traffic is heavy. 

A car rolls into an underground parking lot and the driver confuses the pedals – how do accidents most often occur? 

Damage most often occurs when driving in reverse or leaving a parking space. Drivers manoeuvre in a very limited area, often not noticing other vehicles or obstacles, resulting in a collision. In such situations, the greatest damage is usually caused when several body parts are damaged in a collision – in the last three years, BTA has paid the largest insurance claim for an accident in which, when pulling out of a parking space and hitting another car, the entire left side of the vehicle was damaged, and the indemnity for the damage amounted to EUR 18,392. 

"Although inaccurate manoeuvres in parking lots pose the greatest risks, sometimes they can be unusual situations due to driver inattention. For example, in one case, the car's handbrake was not engaged, so it rolled into an underground parking lot, damaging another vehicle, a gate, and a pole on the way—in this incident, the vehicle sustained extensive damage to the rear doors, engine cover, trunk lid, and headlights. In another situation, while driving in reverse, the driver pressed the gas pedal instead of the brake pedal, and the car crashed into a stationary vehicle. In both cases, the indemnity amounts reached EUR 9,000," says Ivo Danče, Director of the BTA Insurance Claims Department. 

He adds that although most of the damage that cars sustain in parking lots is relatively minor—scratches, bumper damage, dents – which may initially seem like minor visual defects, if they are not repaired in the long term, corrosion may occur because the protective layer of paint has been damaged. At the same time, repairing a small scratch or dent in a door means repainting the entire door, which requires financial investment, so in any situation it is very important to have car insurance that will cover the repair costs. 

Overall, BTA statistics show that the average CASCO insurance claim for one such accident, in which a car was damaged while parked, reached EUR 934 last year. 

What to do if the driver at fault flees or has not noticed the damage caused? 

Various situations occur in parking lots – there are cases where drivers deliberately do not want to admit their guilt for damage caused to another vehicle, and there are situations where drivers simply do not notice that they have scratched someone else's car. The owner returns to their car and finds a scratched door or damaged mirror, but it is impossible to identify the vehicle responsible. 

"When you discover that your car has been damaged, it is important to record the damage immediately by taking photos and videos. Find out if there is video surveillance in the area. There may have been witnesses to the incident. If there are signs of malicious intent, such as broken glass and stolen items from the interior, the police should also be informed. Regardless of the situation, it is safest to contact your insurer as soon as possible to file a claim. Moreover, such situations can occur not only in Latvia, but also abroad, so it is essential that your comprehensive insurance policy also covers you abroad. For example, in BTA's experience in Poland, a driver left his truck at a gas station parking lot, but when he returned, he found that his truck had been damaged, causing more than EUR 13,000 in losses, which were covered by insurance. In this case, the perpetrator was caught on CCTV cameras," explains I. Danče. 

Risks remain throughout the year – weather conditions also have an impact 

Accidents in parking lots are also affected by the seasons; for example, in winter it is icy and uncleared snow. Overall, the number of BTA CASCO claims shows that risks remain throughout the year, but what differs is the extent of their impact on losses and how often they occur. 

"Undeniably, weather conditions, traffic flow, and visibility can have an impact on the number and severity of accidents in parking lots. During the winter months, we observe that insurance claim amounts are slightly higher, but the number of cases is lower. The opposite situation occurs during the summer months. A classic example of a winter situation involves skidding – in one of the cases reported to BTA, a car skidded on an icy road while pulling out of a parking space and crashed into the vehicle in front, with the indemnity paid amounting to approximately EUR 5,200," says Ivo Danče. 

Overall, regardless of the season, parking lots are characterized by the same principle of accidents – speeds are low, but the "price" of carelessness or mistakes can be very high. In modern cars, even a minor impact can damage sensors, cameras, LED lights or bodywork elements, which are expensive to repair and must be covered by your own funds if you do not have insurance.