Parking safely and securely

It may seem easier to drive straight into a space, especially when you want easy access to your boot at the supermarket, but, according to Advanced Driving UK, reversing into a space provides you with several advantages. The main advantage is that it is safer to reverse into somewhere you can see (the parking space) than reverse into somewhere you can’t (the line of moving traffic). It is also easier to control a car going forwards when it is first started.

Parking sensors attached to your car are a good idea and can prevent costly accidents. These sensors use ultrasonic technology to detect obstacles behind and let you know how far from them you are. You can then better judge your parking distance and manoeuvre appropriately.

One last tip: good parking also means not stealing your neighbour’s spot. Be considerate when you park and hopefully the same will happen to you.

Keep your car secure

Reverse parking against a wall can also make it harder for thieves to get to your boot. Reports published by the Home Office indicate that, although car crime has dropped 61% since it peaked in 1995, there were still more than 1.7 million car-related thefts in 2006-07.

Home Office surveys have also shown that cars with immobilisers are more than 10 times safer than those without one. You should then aim to park your car in a secure place – a locked garage is best, followed by a guarded or Police-approved car park. If neither of these is an option, then choose a well-lit parking space on a road with plenty of other cars and continuous traffic. If you can park in the view of CCTV cameras, then do this too. Visit saferparking.com to check whether car parks in your area are Police-approved.

Wherever you park, make sure you remove all valuables from vision, lock all doors and set the alarm.

Avoid parking tickets

If the subject of parking tickets has ever got you into a confused rage then make sure you stay ahead of the game by knowing what to avoid. You can do this by visiting www.parkingticket.co.uk (yes, there really is a website dedicated to parking)! It explains everything from parking law to what to do if you get a ticket.

At the moment parking restrictions in the UK are enforced by either traffic wardens (employed by the Police) or parking attendants (employed by the Council or one of their contractors). There are currently 40 reasons for parking tickets to be issued, so check the signs when you park up, pay and display when you need to and have any relevant exemption notices (disabled or resident passes) clearly in view. Of course there is the chance that your parking ticket has been incorrectly issued. According to Ticketbusters more than 60% of the 5.8 million Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) parking tickets issued in London in 2004-05 were unfair. Visit the Ticketbusters website to find out how to make your case.

How Direct Line can help

To find out how to upgrade the security on your car and protect it from thieves see our Secure Thinking guide. If you’re worried that your car is a high security risk, you could take out our third party fire and theft or comprehensive car insurance. You can find more details from our policy documents online. If your car is broken into, all our car insurance policies include a 24-hour windscreen helpline, plus comprehensive car insurance customers have access to a free windscreen repair service.

Ensure your car is adequately covered when you leave it in a public parking area - see how much you could save by applying for a Direct Line online car insurance quote.