Parking Your Car - Is That Really The Best Spot?
When anyone parks their car they no longer have direct control over what happens to the vehicle whilst it is unattended. With this in mind this article gives advice on choice of parking spots to help reduce the risk of anything unwanted happening to your car.
Parking on the Street
The first consideration when parking your car is whether or not to park the car on the street? In most of today's local towns, villages or cities there are car parks provided for the public to park their vehicles whilst visiting. Their are many pro's and con's to parking in car parks and these will be discussed later but if the driver has no choice and has to park in the street, what considerations should be made?
If parking on the street you should always look to park on a street where there are a few people about, this means that your car will be less attractive to potential thieves due to the many potential witnesses. The public can also act as witnesses for collisions as some motorists will drive away from a minor accidents with a parked vehicle leaving you to foot the insurance bill if you need to make a claim.
Always try and park in marked parking bays this will help you avoid minor accidents as they are often designed to allow the through traffic to pass at a safe distance from your car. If the street doesn't have marked parking bays then be sure to park up close to the curb to allow enough room for through vehicles. Always observe parking restrictions as they are there for a reason, for example be sure to leave designated spaces from junctions as failing to do so greatly increases the risk to your car when parked.
When parking your car on the street at night you should also make sure that the street you are leaving your car on is well lit. Thieves pray on streets that are poorly lit where they can commit their crime in the relative safety of the shadows.
Parking in Car Parks
Parking your car in a car park can often be a safer, cheaper and more convenient way than looking for on street parking. When parking you should only use the parking bays provided, this will reduce the risk of the car park owners fining you for taking up two spaces and it reduces the chance of someone else hitting your car.
Make sure that you take advantage of your space and park sensibly in the middle of it allowing other motorists on either side enough room to enter and exit their vehicles without damaging yours.
With such a large number of cars in one place car parks can also be targeted by criminals so when choosing a spot try and pick one in a well lit part of the car park. A lot of car parks are now underground so this is not just a consideration at night but all through the day as well.
Try and park your car in car parks that have an attendant, these car parks will be a safer place for your vehicle as these attendants can act as a deterrent for thieves and keep an eye out for small prangs.
This article has suggested a few ways in which we can all limit the risk when parking your car, however the best way to keep your car safe is to make sure that all valuables are removed from the car or put out of site. Removing the temptation for the potential thief could be the most effective way of protecting your car whether it is parked in a car park or on the street.
