It’s an unfortunate fact of life that accidents happen. And even a cautious driver can hit a parked car. What matters most is the steps you take following the collision, in order to meet the requirements of both the law and your car insurance policy.
Below, we explain what you should do if you hit a parked car, how it can affect your car insurance premiums, and what happens if someone hits your own parked vehicle.
What to do if you hit a parked car in five steps
The most important thing to do if you hit a parked car is stop. Even if the damage is minor, driving away from the scene of an accident is a crime, and can be considered a hit-and-run. You should park safely, switch off your engine, put on hazard lights, and check for any injuries to you or your passengers.
Next, you must exchange contact information with the driver of the car you’ve hit. This should include your name, your address, a contact number, your car insurance provider and policy number, and the details of your car. If the driver isn’t there, and you cannot reasonably wait, then you need to leave a note containing the above information. Typically, you should safely secure your note to the windscreen of the parked car.
Once you have exchanged details, you should make a note of as much information as possible. This includes the make and model of the car you’ve hit, the registration number, the time of day, location, weather conditions, and any other relevant factors that may have played a role in your collision. You should also take photo or video evidence of any damage.
If you weren’t able to exchange contact details with the owner of the car, someone was injured, or there are accusations of a driving offence, you’ll need to submit a police report. You can do this online, on the 101 non-emergency police number, or at a police station. If none of the above apply, there is no need to inform the authorities.
Even if you don’t intend to make a claim, or there is no visible damage, you should still inform your car insurance provider of your accident. This could be online, or over the phone. Often it will be part of the terms of your policy that you do, especially as hitting a parked car will likely lead to someone making a claim against you. If you fail to inform your insurer of the incident, it could invalidate your policy.
What happens if I leave after hitting a parked car?
Under no circumstances should you drive away after hitting a parked car without exchanging contact details, or leaving a note with the relevant information.
If you do, there are many ways you can be caught, including CCTV and dashcam footage, or witnesses at the scene.
Were you caught after leaving, you could face a fine, penalty points on your licence, disqualification from driving, and up to six months in prison.
Will my car insurance premium increase if I hit a parked car?
How your car insurance premium is affected by hitting a parked car depends on what happens after the accident:
- If you make a claim: then you will lose some, or all, of your no-claims bonus, depending on how many years you have built up, and if you have no-claims discount protection in place. Your car insurance premium will also increase when you come to renew, as you will be viewed as a higher risk driver.
- If the other driver makes a claim: if the owner or driver of the parked vehicle you hit makes a claim against you, your no-claims bonus will be affected. You’ll also likely see your premium increase when it comes time to renew.
- If you report the accident to your insurer, but neither driver makes a claim: if neither party makes a claim, your no-claims discount will be protected. Nevertheless, you may find that your car insurance premium still increases when you come to renew your policy. This is because your accident will be recorded on a shared industry database, and will signal to new providers that you are a higher risk driver.
- If you report the accident, and decide to pay for the other driver’s claim out of pocket: then your no-claims bonus should be protected. However, you may see an increase in your premium when you come to renew.
How to reduce the cost of your car insurance after hitting a parked car
While the cost of your car insurance may rise the next time you renew after hitting a parked car, there are some steps you can take to reduce your premium overall. These include:
- Avoiding auto-renewal: even if you haven’t hit a parked car, avoiding auto-renewal is a sensible step to take in order to try and prevent a potentially nasty spike in your premium.
- Comparing car insurance deals: whether you use a price comparison website, or go directly to the insurer, taking the time to compare providers should help you find the best deal for your profile.
- Taking out telematics insurance: by getting black box insurance, and having a device installed in your car that tracks your driving habits, you can help re-establish yourself as a safe motorist in the eyes of providers.
- Increasing your voluntary excess: by upping your voluntary excess – which is the amount you pay upfront, on top of the compulsory excess, when you make a claim – you can bring down the price of your premium. However, always make sure you can realistically pay your voluntary excess in the event of an accident.
- Reducing your mileage: if possible, cutting down on the amount you drive in a year can help reduce your premium, as in the view of providers, the less you drive, the less likely you are to have an accident.
- Paying annually: it’s cheaper to pay upfront for your car insurance than in monthly instalments, so this is potentially an option to cut the cost of your premium.
What happens if someone hits my parked car?
If your parked car has been hit by another vehicle, you should follow these steps:
- Check for damage: the first thing to do if your parked car is hit by another driver is to check for any damage to your vehicle.
- Collect evidence: next, take photo and video evidence of any damages, and ask any witnesses if they saw what happened.
- Contact the other driver: the other driver should either be there to exchange details in person, or have left their contact details on your car. You should make sure you get their name, address, phone number, registration number and insurance information.
- Contact the police: you will only need to report the incident to the police if the other driver has not left their contact details, someone is injured, or there are allegations of a driving offence.
- Inform your insurer: even if you don’t intend to make a claim, you should contact your insurer, and provide as much detail as you can, including the insurance information of the other driver. Your provider will then contact the other driver’s insurance company, if needed.
If you end up making a claim, your no-claims discount may be affected, depending on your provider, whether you have protection in place, and if you were at fault in any way.
Similarly, if the other driver was uninsured, you stand a chance of losing some or all of your no-claims bonus, unless you have protection.
And, unfortunately, even in the event of an accident that isn’t your fault where you don’t make a claim, you may still see your car insurance premium increase when it is time to renew.
Hitting a parked car FAQs
Regardless of whether or not you want to make a claim, you should always inform your insurance provider that you’ve had an accident. If you don’t, your insurance may become invalid, as it is often a requirement of your policy to let your provider know about any incident, however big or small.
Before making a claim, you should weigh up the cost of the repairs with how much your next car insurance premium could rise by if you lose some or all of your no-claims bonus. This is because your no-claims discount can be affected even if you make a non-fault claim.
If you hit a parked car, but can’t see any damage, you should still exchange details with the other driver, and inform your insurance provider. This is because there could be damage to the car that isn’t visible, but that could still be claimed for.
And if a witness saw you drive away without leaving your details, even if there is no visible damage to the car, you could still get into trouble.
Connor brings nearly a decade of expertise in personal and business finance writing to his current role at MailOnline Compare. As our personal finance specialist, he expertly guides readers through a variety of topics, including insurance, banking, energy, and loans, with an aim to simplify complex financial matters.
