Car Insurance with CCTV-Monitored And Gated Carpark

Caeva O'Callaghan | May 1st, 2024

Is Car Insurance Cheaper In A CCTV Monitored And Gated Carpark?

You may think a secure, gated private car park is the safest place in the world for your car – but will it affect your car insurance?

It depends. Some car insurance companies may give you a discount if you park your vehicle in a gated car park. However, it is not a major rating factor.

So you might get money off if your insurance provider knows you park your car in a secure location. Or, it might not affect your premium at all.

In this article, we’ll answer questions like:

• Will adding CCTV affect my car insurance?
• Does parking in a gated car park make my car insurance cheaper?
• How can I reduce my car insurance premium?

While some companies might take your parking situation into account, there are many other factors which will affect your insurance premium. Read on to find out more.

Gated car parks and car insurance

Insurers want to know where you keep your car both during the day and night. This is because it helps them understand how safe your car is when you aren’t driving it. Insurance premiums are calculated by using your risk factor – in other words, how likely you are to make a claim. This means where you store your car is an element most insurance providers consider. However, it’s far from the most important one.

Major rating factors are your age, no claims bonus, vehicle type and address. These are the things that will have a major impact on your car insurance premium. They will likely determine which insurance company we will recommend for you. On the other hand, gated car parks provide security and peace of mind for storing your vehicle. If you live in an apartment building, you may be lucky enough to have one which is secure at night. It also may come with CCTV.

Your insurance provider will take into account these security measures. However, they will also look at if there have been any accidents, thefts or vehicular crimes in the area, and this will affect your risk.

And as always, it’s up to you to keep your car safe. It doesn’t matter if your private car park was securely locked when you walked off: if you left your car unlocked and CCTV happens to catch someone opening the door and grabbing your laptop, you won’t have cover. It’s up to you, first and foremost, to protect your possessions.

Accidents in car parks

If you live in an apartment building with its own car park, taking advantage of it is a no-brainer. It’s unlikely that any alternative options are any safer than a locked and monitored car park.

But there are still some risks you need to be aware of. Many small claims happen in car parks, which can amount to large headaches. For example, many people are put off reporting a car park accident due to worries it will affect their no-claim bonus. This means claims statistics in the area may be skewed. So, your insurance provider won’t have an accurate idea of how dangerous the car park is. If you are aware of a few minor claims relating to your car park, it’s a good idea to take out no claims protection. This means you’ll still be able to claim in the event of a dent or minor scratch, without wasting your no claims bonus.

It may surprise you to learn car parks aren’t the safest areas for cars: but think of the risks. Concrete pillars, bollards, careless parking and other people can all cause damage to your car, and yourself.

What to do if you have an accident in a private car park

Although most car park collisions are minor accidents, quite a lot of drivers don’t know how to handle this kind of situation. If you have an accident in your own private car park or someone else’s, do you know whether to call the police or your insurance provider?

If you hit another car, you should stay and wait for the owner of the vehicle to return, even if the damage is minor. Speaking to the owner of the vehicle will give you a chance to discuss with them, in person, what action they want to take. If no one returns, or you have an emergency, you need to leave a note with your name, address, contact number and an explanation of what happened.

If someone else hits your car and flees the scene, meaning you come back to a dent or worse, it’s a good idea to take photos of the damage on both cars, including the number plates if possible. Check for witnesses, and ask them what they saw. Ask for a description of what they saw happen and their contact details.

Remember, if you hit another car in a car park and you leave the scene of the accident and get caught, this could result in criminal damage charges. So don’t do that.

If you are looking at ways to reduce your car insurance, call us and we can help.

If your insurance is up for renewal or you have changed where you live and now park your car in a gated CCTV monitored car park, call us and talk our car insurance experts and they will let you know of potential discounts with certain providers. We are available for direct phone calls between Mon-Fri 8.30am and 5.30pm on 0818 224433 or 042 9359051.

If you would like an instant car insurance quote, why not use our quote engine, which compares Irish motor insurance from 13 of the leading insurance providers here.