- Curbs are not the most common: there is another element that is hit more frequently
There are few things in life more irritating than having to pay for damage to your car, especially when you are the one at fault for causing it due to a low-speed collision caused by a stationary object.
The AA says “tens of thousands” of its members with breakdown cover have called its accident claims helpline over the past three-and-a-half years because of a collision they were at fault for involving only their engine.
But while you might think that hitting curbs on wheels is the most common mistake drivers make, there is another type of item that drivers accidentally hit more often.
Curb your enthusiasm: Hitting a curb is not the most common single-vehicle collision, as drivers more often hit another type of object.
According to AA Accident Assist’s database dating back to 2021, the most common objects collided with in single-car accidents are walls, accounting for 10 per cent of all reported cases.
The top four things drivers crash into are hitting curbs, hitting bollards and hitting trees, according to the roadside assistance provider.
Not surprisingly, many of the most common objects collided in single-vehicle accidents are often the driver’s own property, including garage doors, gates and fences.
According to AA Accident Assist’s database dating back to 2021, the most common object collided with in single-car accidents is walls, accounting for one in 10 reported single-car crashes.
While driving on the road, drivers have also encountered lamp posts, signs and tram parking spaces.
And one in fifty drivers fell into a pothole so deep that it caused significant damage to their cars.
As much as those involved may feel the shame of crashing into inanimate objects, the level of damage caused by these self-inflicted crashes ranges from scratched wheel arches to broken bumpers and shattered windshields.
Scratches in paint and plastics can be expensive to repair, especially if you use a franchised repairer.
This makes it difficult for drivers to decide whether to pay for repairs out of their own pocket or risk paying higher premiums by going through their insurer and losing their no-claims bonus.
Tim Rankin, managing director of AA Accident Assist, said: ‘Sometimes drivers do things they consider ‘silly’, and a single-car crash at low speed is high on the list.
‘Forgetting to apply the handbrake, misjudging the entrance to the road or even scraping the kerb can be embarrassing at first.
‘However, that embarrassment soon turns to annoyance when they spot a scratch on the door or a crack in the bumper.
‘What seems like a harmless dent can quickly turn into a nightmare of trying to find someone reputable to fix the damage at a fair and reasonable price.’
