Parking bumps in pastures are not uncommon: you have to do that when it crashes

Symbol picture: Jens Wolf / dpa-It happened quickly: a parking bump. Just sticking a piece of paper behind the windshield is not enough. A policeman from Weiden explains what to do. “>

It happened quickly: a parking bump. Just sticking a piece of paper behind the windshield is not enough. A policeman from Weiden explains what to do.

Symbol picture: Jens Wolf / dpa

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Katrin Heining only had her car for three months when it happened: a parking bump. An initially stranger drove to her parked car. “The whole thing happened in January in Mooslohstrasse in Weiden. I was just at my friend’s house and my car was properly parked on the edge of the road,” wrote the 28-year-old in an email to Oberpfalz-Medien.

Parking bumps, as in the case of Katrin Heining, are not uncommon in Weiden, reports Police Chief Inspector Johann Wurm from the Weiden police station: “Last year we had around 350 accidents in Weiden. 200 of them have not been resolved. The damage is often 1000 euros and more. ”

High number of unreported cases

There was also major damage to Katrin Heining’s car. “The entire left side of my car was damaged and my rear axle was pushed forward. In the end, that was around 15,000 euros in damage,” says the young woman. In the event of an accident, the victims would often bear the costs of the repairs themselves, explains Police Chief Inspector Wurm. Wurm estimates the number of unreported accidents escaping after parking bumps to be higher than the current figures: “Often we are not reported to a parking bump because people do not notice it.”

Katrin Heining is lucky. A neighbor saw the accident. Although they could not remember the license plate number, they could remember the model and color of the car. When the police recorded the accident, the neighbor’s husband made his way to work. “However, he came back to us after a few minutes to inform the police that the other person who had been involved in the accident was only a few meters away from the drinks burger,” writes the 28-year-old. The officers then compare the tracks on the respective cars. And in fact it is the culprit. His car was so badly damaged that he could no longer drive it.

Consequences for car insurance

Parking bump sounds harmless, but if you don’t admit it, you’re fleeing from an accident. An accident escape is not a trivial offense, but a criminal offense with heavy fines and, depending on the severity, can result in the withdrawal of your driving license. There can also be consequences for the motor vehicle insurance company. Press officer Jürgen Haux of the Bavarian Insurance Chamber declares that the damage suffered by the injured party will be covered. Then the contract of the polluter is checked to see whether he has violated his duty to report the damage to the injured party to his motor vehicle insurance company. “If so, the insurance company can, in individual cases, reclaim some or all of its benefits from the insured party,” explains Haux.

Witness references important

If the perpetrator cannot be found, the injured party remains seated on the damage, unless the own vehicle is insured with fully comprehensive insurance. However, this is not mandatory in Germany. Every vehicle owner only has to take out motor liability insurance. The police can often clear up the escapes after the accident because there are indications from witnesses. “It doesn’t make people foolish. It is actually part of social responsibility to give the police information when you’ve seen something,” explains police chief inspector Wurm.

Peter S. from Grafenwöhr sees it that way too. He has already contributed three times to clearing up escapes after accidents. In one case, a guardrail was damaged at a roundabout in Grafenwoehr. “As I drove by, I saw the policemen holding up a silver part of the vehicle at the scene of the accident,” he said on the phone. Not far from the spot, he discovers a damaged, silver vehicle. In their investigation, the police establish after the reference to the witness that it is the vehicle of the person who caused the accident. Peter S. receives an award for his help. “If you witness an accident, you shouldn’t be shy and call the police,” he says with certainty.

A note alone is not enough

But what should I do if I am the cause of a parking bump? Police chief inspector Wurm explains: “A note on the window alone is not enough. When the injured party is at the scene of the accident, personal details are exchanged with him.” If this is not possible, the polluter waits a “reasonable time”. According to Wurm, it depends on the situation: “If you hit the guardrail on the country road, you don’t have to wait, you just call the police.” In the parking lot of a supermarket, however, you should wait about half an hour. Then it’s best to call the police. “You don’t have to fear any punishment from the police,” says Wurm, giving the all-clear. “It is important that you get in touch and the injured party gets paid for his damage.”