Crashes involving parked cars are the leading cause of motor insurance claims, new data from RAA Insurance shows.

The SA motor insurer says about 18% of all claims – more than 10,000 – are made every year for cars being “damaged while parked”.

Drivers hitting fixed objects account for 17% of claims, while windscreen damage and rear-end collisions are other common issues.  

RAA Insurance head of claims Jess Lyons says the insurer paid more than $250 million in car insurance claims last financial year.  

“Having your vehicle hit while parked is unfortunate and often out of your control – so you probably don’t want to be footing the repair bill yourself,” she said. “In this instance, we always recommend getting the details of the driver who hit you if you can, so your insurer can help you investigate potentially having your excess waived if you weren’t at fault.  

“If you’re the one who hits a parked car, you must stop and provide your details or report the incident to the police.  

“We also receive a lot of claims for damaged windscreens, which can be a real safety hazard, so we recommend getting these repaired as soon as possible.”