Carpark bingles are driving us all crazy
Will the Gold Coast have to rethink its love affair with big cars? Because too many people just don’t seem able to park them? This column was amused this week by video of a man trying and failing to squeeze a Nissan Navara into a spot at the Ashmore City shopping centre on January 10.
An unpleasant crunching sound is heard as the Navara apparently swipes the side of a Subaru sedan, giving it a good dent and plenty of scratch marks along its side.
And what does old mate do? Reverses back out and drives off.
Luckily the Subaru owner had dashcam footage and the matter is now with his insurers.
“I was in Australia Post. Came back to a damaged car and video evidence of the hit and run,” he said.
Another driver reported coming back to a damaged car at Harbour Town at the weekend. Again, the guilty party had not taken responsibility, failing to leave a note at the scene.
It seems to be a common problem, which reaches its height over the summer holiday period.
According to research by insurance firm AAMI, December and January are the worst months for car park prangs. Worse, their research found only 55 per cent of Australians said they would leave a note if they accidentally hit someone’s car in a car park and nobody else saw it.
“Busy shopping centres mean crazy car parks, and unfortunately with that comes an increase in accidents,” AAMI Motor Claims Manager Leah Jame said.
Part of the problem, surely, is the size of the cars we are now driving.
By far the most popular car in Australia these days is the weighty Toyota HiLux. Second place is the Ford Ranger.
Indeed, SUVs and light commercial vehicles made up 76.8 per cent of car sales in 2022
It’s a big change. Just 10 years ago the top-selling car was the Toyota Corolla.
Standards Australia is now proposing changing the minimum length of car parks to accommodate these larger vehicles.
That won’t eliminate all problems of course. As the driver of a not tiny, but somewhat smaller vehicle, a minor pet peeve is having them park either side. You’ve got to pull out with real caution when there are walls of ute either side restricting visibility.
And Standards Australia are not proposing making spaces any wider. Just longer, to avoid “overhang” that bugs other drivers.
That will do little to stop the shopping centre prangs.
Perhaps we just really need to get a bit more real about the cars we drive.
Don’t get me wrong, these utes are great vehicles. They’re super practical and easy to drive. And there are a lot of places in Queensland where they’re an absolute life saver.
But do the majority of people really need a car so big? There’s just no way everyone driving one is a tradie, has a hefty caravan to tow or likes to go bush.
These days, they’re more likely to be seen in the car park of your local Coles under the command of someone who looks like their days of doing tasks that would require such a big vehicle are well behind them.
It’s a free country, people should be able to drive whatever they like.
But if the simple act of parking one of these beasts is going to be a drama – and especially if you don’t plan on stopping and leaving your details if you screw up – then you really have to ask if this is the right car for you.
THE COMING CYCLONE
Authorities on the Gold Coast are bracing themselves for a cyclone on Australia Day. But not only the one you might think.
While the weather is a worry, they’re also preparing for a cyclone of the human kind.
Police patrolling the Gold Coast entertainment precinct in the weekend just gone reported an extraordinarily busy time.
Officers charged 39 people with various offences and 19 banning notices were issued, while a 51-yearold man was found in Surfers Paradise carrying a knife.
They’re bracing for more of the same on Friday.
Let’s hope their worst fears do not come to pass. This city has had quite enough tempests to deal with over the summer, from nature and humans alike.
… their research found only 55 per cent of Australians said they would leave a note if they accidentally hit someone’s car in a car park and nobody else saw it.