More than half of Australian drivers say they have hit a parked, unattended vehicle and left without reporting the incident, according to new research with implications for motor insurers’ handling of low-impact collisions. A survey by financial comparison site Money.com.au of more than 1,000 motorists across age groups, genders, and locations found that 57% of respondents admitted they had at some point struck a parked vehicle and then driven away without notifying the owner or authorities. Only 43% said they left a note with their contact details after causing damage.
Money.com.au finance expert Sean Callery said many drivers appear to downplay the consequences of what they see as minor contact. “A lot of people see a small knock as no big deal, especially in a car park, but even minor damage can lead to expensive repairs and insurance complications for the vehicle owner. Depending on the size of the dent or scratch left, it can be a hit to a car’s resale value, and that can be a problem if the vehicle is secured against finance,” Callery said, as reported by Drive.
Generational results varied. Among Gen Z respondents, 84% reported leaving the scene of a car-park incident without reporting it, compared with 56% of Millennials, 54% of Gen X, and 40% of Baby Boomers. Callery said the behaviour sits uneasily with how many Australians view themselves. “Australians pride themselves on doing the right thing, so quietly driving off after hitting someone’s car – even if there’s no damage immediately visible – doesn’t sit well with that idea. Driving off after actually damaging a car leaves another person to deal with any financial fallout. Leaving your details is about being honest and not passing the cost onto someone else,” Callery said. For insurers, these unreported incidents can surface later as unexplained vehicle damage, single‑vehicle claims, or disputes over when and how loss occurred, complicating liability assessments and potential recoveries.
The conduct identified in the survey is set against a defined legal framework that supports claim and recovery processes. Under Rule 287 of the Road Rules 2014, which sets out the duties of a driver involved in a crash, motorists must stop at the scene and provide their particulars within the required time to any other driver involved, any injured person or their representative, and the owner of any damaged property, including vehicles.
When a parked vehicle is damaged and the owner cannot be located at the time, drivers are generally expected to take reasonable steps to make their details available, such as leaving a note in a secure, visible position and attempting to locate the owner nearby. If those efforts are not possible or do not succeed, the rule requires that the driver give their particulars to police within the required time, typically via contact with a local station or non-emergency line.
Failure to provide details can lead to financial penalties and demerit points. In New South Wales, not exchanging particulars after a crash can result in a $423 fine and three demerit points. More serious cases of leaving the scene of a significant crash can attract higher sanctions, including fines of up to 20 penalty units in some jurisdictions and potential imprisonment. For insurers and brokers, these statutory duties intersect with policy terms on cooperation, disclosure, and potential fraud. Non-compliance can affect liability decisions, subrogated recovery prospects and, in some situations, coverage where failure to report or exchange details is material to the circumstances of the claim.
The Money.com.au findings align with other recent research indicating that behaviours which increase road risk are widely reported by Australian drivers. Data from Compare the Market shows that 54.7% of surveyed motorists said they had eaten or consumed non-alcoholic drinks while driving. Exceeding posted speed limits was admitted by 44.9% of respondents, 38.2% reported driving while fatigued, and 24.6% said they had reached into the back seat while the vehicle was moving.
Use of mobile phones and other devices also featured. According to the survey, 17.4% of drivers said they had sent or read text messages while driving, and 10.5% admitted to running a red light. Almost one-third of respondents reported using a mobile phone behind the wheel. Among those who used their phones while driving, texting and messaging were the most frequent activities (45.2%), followed by using navigation apps (42.5%), making calls (31.2%), and playing music (28.2%). Despite this, drivers tended to rate their own performance positively. More than 42% described themselves as “great and safe” drivers, while 37.9% considered themselves “good but could be better.” Only 1.4% regarded themselves as unsafe. For insurers, the contrast between self-perception and reported actions may inform pricing assumptions, telematics and usage-based insurance programs, and expectations about the frequency and severity of claims.
A separate 2025 survey of 1,000 motorists by Budget Direct indicates that confidence in using mobile phones while driving has been rising. In that survey, 22% of respondents said they felt confident using their phones while driving, compared with 12% in 2020 and 19% in 2023. Within the two weeks before the survey, 45% said they had used their phone while driving. The most common reason reported was accessing navigation apps (23%). Other behaviours included checking the phone while stopped at traffic lights (8%), changing music tracks (a little over 6%), and reading or responding to messages (3%). When asked about motivations, 44% said they believed they could manage phone use while driving, 17% cited habit, and 15% referred to emergencies. For motor insurers, this pattern points to continuing exposure to distraction risk, even amid enforcement and awareness efforts. These findings may influence how insurers incorporate driver monitoring features, set rating factors, and support client education on technology use while driving.
Research from AAMI provides further insight into how distraction translates into crash and near‑miss experience. In its study, 38% of drivers reported having been involved in an accident or near miss linked to distraction, and almost 90% said they had driven while distracted at some point. Cognitive distraction – such as thinking about personal or work issues – was cited by 36% of respondents. One in four drivers said they were distracted by mobile phones or smartwatches, and 60% reported adjusting entertainment or navigation systems while driving.
Taken together, the Money.com.au hit‑and‑run data and broader distraction surveys outline a motor risk environment where low‑impact collisions, incomplete disclosure, and device‑related distraction are common. For insurers, this combination has implications for risk selection, pricing, causation analysis, subrogation opportunities, and policyholder communication about obligations after even minor car‑park impacts.
