Hit-and-run scrapes cost millions

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Motorist are paying out £1.3bn a year in repairs due to "chip-and-run" drivers who cause slight damage to cars but fail to report it, according to a survey.

As many as 30% of drivers admitted bump-and-go offences and 55% of them failed to acknowledge their guilt or offer any compensation, the Autoglass company found.

Dented doors and scratched paintwork accounted for 25% of all incidents, while cuffed bumpers, broken lights and smashed wing mirrors were also frequent complaints from victims.

Autoglass said each incident costs the average motorist £73, but with more than four in five drivers reluctant to claim on their insurance, it is the innocent parties who are left footing the bill.

Hot spots for chip-and-run incidents are supermarket car parks and residential streets, which together accounted for 20% of cases.

Men appeared to be the worst offenders, with 31% owning up to being a secret bump-a-car driver compared to 29% of female drivers.

Autoglass managing director Nigel Doggett said: "Whether it's opening your door too wide and hitting the car parked next to you, or misjudging the distance between vehicles when parking, accidents do happen - and according to our research, very frequently.

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