To ask if you are a scratch-prone driver?

[moutonfou]

I've never run into another car or anything but parking is my weakness. My car is full of scratches where I've grazed various posts/barriers/pillars etc in car parks - and I've done another tonight. Gutted as I was being really careful - looked in mirrors and behind from all angles, moved out slowly, but crunched into a low bollard that was out of sight (and that I think was actually really poorly placed but oh well).

If anybody else suffers from this malady, how have you managed to overcome it? It makes me really scared to get a new car, especially on finance. I couldn't bear to scratch what I don't even own yet. But I'm starting to get embarrassed driving what I have!

I did this a lot when I first passed my test. Probably for the first 2 years, and always when I was tired. It got better though as I got better at driving.

I had a couple of minor scratches when I first started driving but since then no, i used to drive an old Land Rover with no parking sensors, a huge great big spare wheel on the back and a tow bar and managed to park that with no issues. If you are having problems rope in a helper, sit in your car and get them to walk around the outside, closer and closer so you can work out where the edges of your car are, I know when parking that a bollard will vanish a X distance from the car and drive to that. It's pretty basic driving really, people who can't accurately judge the size of the car they drive every day are a bit of a menace on the roads (and car parks).

Echo the others. You need driving lessons. Being a scratch prone driver is not a thing! The very occasional, fine. What you are talking about means that you can't drive. Being able to park is an integral part of driving and if you can't do that you shouldn't be driving. And I say that as a nervous driver myself

Parking sensors are your friend. Now I just scrape the sides of the car... (for those who are worried, our car needs to be parked within an inch of our fence, with a tight turn to get into our drive)

DH retrofitted beeping sensors to our previous car. The advantages of these were that you didn't need to be looking at them (unlike the image from a reversing camera), and they were particularly good if, say, a child or small animal ran behind the car, as they'd suddenly start going crazy. The major downside was that once we were 40cm from something, they reached their maximum warning. We live in a city where you're lucky to get a parking space which is 40cm longer than the car - DH can certainly park shorter spaces. I don't know if nicer reversing sensors give more sensitivity at close distances - DH had fitted the sensors himself, and they were only £50, so there are more expensive options out there!

We now have a car with a reversing camera. It does allow you to get right up to the car behind, and the image at night is surprisingly good. The major downside is that you have to be looking at the screen for it to see what's behind you - at which point you aren't looking in your mirrors/over your shoulder etc.

Ideally we'd have both...

Have you had your eyes tested recently?

Get some clear paint protection film on your cars vulnerable areas, its like a much better version of the anti scratch film for your phone.
You get what you pay for though, do your research, cheap does not always mean better.

Yes.
To be clear, it's not even me.
1st case:
Go to local beach park up in deserted car park, no other cars around except one right down the other end. Walk dogs, come back to a giant 4 inch wide and 10 inch long gouge taken out of the bumper that goes so far down its gone to the plastic and curled bits off and left bits of blue paint on my green bumper.

2nd case (same car, same bumper, opposite side):
Park car as normal outside house. Look out of window in time to witness a rather large white van mess up getting out of a parking space and knocking my car so hard it wobbles. Cue similar style gouge but with white paint residue.

I'm beginning to think my car has a cloaking device. I always park straight (unlike next door neighbour who's that far out they look like they are pulling away) and no more than 6 inches from the kerb.

Parking sensors, plus a service like www.chipsaway.co.uk

My car is over ten years old, now. I have the paintwork sorted every four years or so. I am much mire careful when it is freshly done but it doesn't last.

Nope but I do have parking sensors. However I have been rear ended on the motorway, had it punched (£900 worth of damage!), and then drove it into a parked car (£3500 for both cars damage...)

I've never ever had any accidents before this car and I'm changing it as soon as I can

I find it very difficult to gauge the exact dimensions of my car. I'd rather park several blocks away than squeeze into a tight spot. I've had plenty of lessons and plenty of practice, so I guess it's a skill not everyone can learn.

Low fucking bollards need to fuck right off.

I've hit two in my time when reversing :-(

I look for a good parking space that is not too tight, even if it moves parking further away and would not park by those bollards in multi storey car parks for example. More in case someone hits my car really. I've got a scrape on the wheel arch and a dent in my door from other drivers that have just driven off. I got an earlier one repaired but haven't bothered with these two. Annoys me every time I look at it.
Get some sensors

If it's happening more frequently get your eyes tested. If your eyesight is fine then a couple of refresher lessons and a smaller car with parking sensors?

Is it happening late on in the day? Could you be tired and that's affecting your spatial judgement? Are you on medication that's affecting your judgement to?

I'd say I'm good at parking my large car but when my sinuses play up it really impacts my parking & driving ability, so I try not to!

Once a year while driving your own small hatchback is quite bad I think, sorry.

I have only gently bumped something maybe 3 times in 25 years of driving, and no visible damage at all (e.g. popped the bumper off but it clipped back on).

Surely you must be going too fast? I park very slowly, so even if I did touch something I would feel it before any damage was done.

Maybe you should do some extra lessons and ask to focus just on parking skills?

Lots of people on here seem to have parking sensors. I have an old car with none and have had some scrapes against bushes and the like.