10% of drivers drive off after collision with a parked vehicle

Around a third of car owners damaged in bump and runs paid for repairs themselves, with over half being left unprepared and around 11 percent making a claim for repairs on their insurance.

The online survey was carried out in November on UK motorists aged over 18 with 1,526 respondents. Those who admitted not stopping said it was only minor damage caused and not worth the effort stopping to leave their details, with 14 percent saying they did it because no one was around. Many of the culprits were more worried about being caught on camera or by onlookers than the actual damage they caused to the other car.

It is an offence to drive off from any road accident involving third parties without leaving your details. Spokesman for insurers Direct Line who commissioned the survey Tony Chilcot said it's "worth remembering that it is a crime" to hit another car and drive away, adding "To be on the receiving end of a bump-and-run can be upsetting, especially if it means you have to claim on your insurance for damage you didn't cause" emphasising the importance of leaving your details if you are involved in a collision with a parked car, and the inconvenience it causes.

Bad parking was the main culprit for causing bump and run incidents with them being twice as likely to occur in a supermarket car park as they are in a residential area. Paintwork was the main damage caused in these incidents followed by bumpers then wing mirrors.