‘The Hunger Games of parking’: The shopping centres with the highest rate of car park collisions

The rate of car accidents has increased in previous years, particularly around the Christmas holiday period, with collisions occurring more often as the hunt for presents by the 25 December deadline usually means a battle for car parking spots at your local shopping centre.

Research from leading Australian insurance company AAMI Insurance analysed more than 23,000 car park insurance claims from 1 December 2022 to 30 November 2023, and identified vehicle collisions rose around 22 per cent when compared to the yearly average leading up to November 2023.

AAMI's data indicated December had the highest rate of car park collisions in shopping centres at 2423, followed by a slight decline in January at 2053 claims.

The insurance company identified Fridays, Saturdays and Thursdays are the most likely days when car collisions occur, and they generally happen between 12pm to 4pm according to the research.

Additionally, it found that 43 per cent of shopping centre car park collisions included “accidental damage to an insured driver’s vehicle while parked”, while 24 per cent of insured drivers reported hitting a stationary object such as shopping trolleys or walls – and 22 per cent reported a car park collision happened when at least one driver was reversing.

"It’s the busiest time of the year for shopping centres, which transform into the Hunger Games of parking, as desperate shoppers battle it out to find a car park. Busy shopping centres mean crazy car parks, and unfortunately with that comes an increase in accidents,” AAMI Motor Claims Manager Leah James said in a statement.

“The longer we spend doing laps of [the] car park and stalking shoppers, the more frustrated we become, which can quickly lead to erratic driving and a higher chance of being in a collision.”

The AAMI research identified the shopping centres and suburbs with the highest rate of collisions in car parks across all Australian states and territories.

According to the insurance company’s data, Westfield Doncaster in Victoria has been ranked number one in Australia for the highest rate of car park collisions for the second year in a row.

In New South Wales, Westfield Miranda has entered the number-one spot for the first time this year in comparison to the 2022 AAMI results.  

Queensland AAMI-insured drivers reported Sunshine Plaza in the suburb of Maroochydore as the new and most frequent place for shopping centre car park collisions to occur relative to the claims data.

Westfield Innaloo in Western Australia has once again been named the worst hot spot for car park collisions – and the same can be said for Westfield Tea Tree Plaza in the South Australian suburb of Modbury.

AAMI Insurance users in Tasmania named Kingston Town Shopping Centre as the most frequent place for vehicle accidents, while Westfield Belconnen in the Australian Capital Territory and Casuarina Square in the Northern Territory round out the list of car park collision hot spots.

Due to the silent nature of electric cars on Australian roads, the insurance company has also warned motorists and pedestrians alike to be mindful of EVs when navigating shopping centre car parks during the busy holiday period.

“A particular danger to watch out for in car parks this year is electric vehicles. With so many now on our roads, both drivers and pedestrians need to be on the lookout for these as they are virtually silent, so you can’t rely on engine noises to alert you that one is creeping in reverse.

"Likewise, EV drivers need to be mindful that their car doesn’t emit the usual warning sounds, so look out for pedestrians, particularly children, and other drivers who might not notice you,” Ms James said in a statement.

Tips for a crash-free car park experience include: