Almost one in six drivers has admitted to deliberately letting their car hit another vehicle when trying to park, a new study has found.
The practice, which is known as 'bump parking', involves the driver simply carrying on reversing until they hit the car behind, rather than using their mirrors to judge the distance to the car behind.
Bump parking seems to be more widespread in London, with 26 per cent of drivers admitting to the practice. Younger drivers (those aged from 18-34) also seem to be more likely to bump park, with around a quarter admitting to doing it.
The research, which was compiled by car insurers Churchill, also revealed a number of other bad parking habits.
5 per cent of drivers admitted to parking in disabled bays, 6 per cent to deliberately parking over two bays and 9 per cent to parking on double-yellows.
Drivers also admitted to being self-conscious about their parking, with 17 per cent claiming they would not try to park if there was another driver watching them, 11 per cent refusing to use multi-storey car parks and 8 per cent refusing to park in the dark.
Shockingly, 16 per cent of drivers said they had caused damage to their own or another car while trying to park in the last year.
The average parking prang is estimated to cause £328 in damage, with the cost of bad parking in the UK estimated at more than £1 billion annually.
Steve Barrett, head of Churchill Car Insurance, said, "Motorists seem to be struggling with parking their cars.
"So-called 'bump parking' might seem easier at the time, but if it results in some damage to their car, motorists could end up counting the cost later."
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