‘Cold war’ brews between neighbours over poor parking at home

• 14% describe their neighbour’s parking as ‘poor’ or ‘appalling’

• Some stop speaking or fall out because of bad parking practice

Parking is an emotive subject at the best of times, whether that’s how much it costs, its availability or the size of the space when you eventually find one, but ask a motorist about someone else’s parking skills and you’ve reached a whole new level of angst.

While the vast majority of motorists are satisfied with their neighbours’ parking a significant minority of 14% describe their neighbours’ parking is ‘poor’ or ‘appalling’ (4% – appalling). The top issue for the aggrieved who are often busy waging their own ‘cold wars’ is the selfish way their neighbours park, with six in 10 (62%) citing this as the reason they chose the words ‘appalling’ or ‘poor’.

The other big gripes in the  RAC Insurance Home Parking Survey were: 41% being annoyed about neighbours parking in the street when they have the space to park on their own drives; nearly a third (31%) complaining they had been blocked in by neighbours parking across their drives; and more than a quarter (27%) who were unhappy about cars being left with their fronts or rears sticking out from the kerb.

To make matters worse, for three-quarters (73%) the ‘appalling’ and ‘poor’ parking behaviour takes place every day and for a quarter (26%) it has even led them to falling out or not speaking.

And, 6% of the upset category say they have applied the ‘taste of their own medicine’ approach by deliberately parking their car badly to annoy their neighbour. This usually involves parking right up against their neighbour’s bumper to make it difficult to get out (32%) or parking right outside their house where they normally park (29%).

RAC Insurance spokesman Simon Williams said: “Parking is a very sensitive issue, particularly when it’s outside your own home as it brings out the ‘Nimby’ in everyone. The moment someone parks selfishly people’s hackles are going to be raised, whether that’s parking in the street when they have the space to be able to park on their own drive or parking so close that it makes it almost impossible to get out.

“The overwhelming majority of people we surveyed described themselves as considerate parkers claiming they always leave plenty of space when they parallel park in the street and are careful to make sure they park squarely between the lines in a car park. These people are inevitably going to be far more sensitive to their neighbours’ parking habits and, if these poor practices recur on a daily basis, a ‘cold war’ might begin with neighbours not speaking or blatantly ignoring one another. And this can easily escalate into a full-on argument and all-out ‘Neighbours at War’ television scenario.

“The answer has to be for every motorist to take a little bit of extra time to think about how their parking might affect their neighbours and fellow drivers.”