Bumper to bumper: Nissan lifts the bonnet on poor parking

2015/04/20

Bumper to bumper: Nissan lifts the bonnet on poor parking

• Nissan research* finds 1 in 3 people surveyed across Europe have experienced car damage in the last five years; with 16% incurred whilst parking
• Nearly three times as many Italian suffered a parking accident compared to Brits - who were found to be the best parkers (26% and 10% respectively)
• Reversing was responsible for 45% of all parking incidents across the continent in the last five years
• Nissan's advanced technology assists drivers in spontaneous live car parking experience captured on video

According to new research released today by leading auto-manufacturer Nissan, one in three people in Europe* have experienced a parking incident in the last five years.

The research, conducted by global research agency YouGov, surveyed 9,177 drivers across the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain to identify the causes and effects of parking prangs, found that more than three out of ten drivers (33%) reported damaging their car in the last five years with 16% of those suffering car damage while in the act of parking.

Italy's drivers were the most accident-prone with one in two admitting to damaging their cars over the same period - 26% of them doing so while attempting a parking manoeuvre. Conversely, British drivers were the most cautious, with just 10% reporting a parking-related incident. 

In four out of five of the Nations surveyed, reversing proved the most challenging manoeuvre, with the tricky task accounting for 45% of all parking bumps; in Italy a staggering 51% of bumps were caused while in reverse.

Drivers of Estate cars should also take heed as parking incidents were highest in this popular class (27%).

Spanish drivers narrowly avoided being named the most accident-prone in Europe, coming in a close second behind Italy with one quarter of the country's car accidents having taken place while parking. Germany and France both proved more proficient parkers with parking bumps accounting for 11% and 10% of accidents respectively.

To assist unsuspecting motorists and demonstrate how vehicle technology can be a welcomed driver aide, Nissan transformed a car park in Rome to demonstrate the benefits of its Around View Monitor (AVM) and Moving Object Detection technology from its award-winning Pulsar compact hatchback.

Designed to assist with parking, the intelligent Nissan Around View Monitor system gives the driver a virtual bird's-eye view of their vehicle as they manoeuvre into a space - providing a ‘safety net' for drivers.

To see how the motorists got on with the technology and some of their extraordinary reactions, watch: http://youtu.be/o6trVdriZcM

"Parking is a part of driving not everyone feels comfortable with so we wanted to do everything we could to assist drivers," said Bastien Schupp, Vice President of Marketing for Nissan Europe.

"By taking this technology out of the Pulsar and installing it in a car park in Italy we have given drivers the opportunity to see for themselves how Around View Monitor can take the stress out of parking and help them park with confidence - while also helping to avoid damage to their car."

Combining bold design, technical innovations and interior space, the new Pulsar brings a new dimension to the compact hatchback market, offering all the familiar Nissan qualities in a stylish new package.

For more information about the Nissan Pulsar and its impressive Around View Monitor and Moving Object Detection technologies, visit www.nissan.eu/experience-nissan.html.

ENDS

Notes to editors

*All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. 

Total research sample size of motorists was UK 1819, Germany 1796, France 1810, Italy 1913 and Spain 1839. 

The survey was carried out online. Fieldwork was undertaken between 2 - 16 February.

About Nissan in Europe

Nissan has one of the most comprehensive European presences of any overseas manufacturer, employing more than 17,600 staff across locally-based design, research & development, manufacturing, logistics and sales & marketing operations. Last financial year Nissan plants in the UK, Spain and Russia produced more than 675,000 vehicles including award-winning crossovers, small cars, SUVs, commercial vehicles and electric vehicles, including the Nissan LEAF, the world's most popular electric vehicle with 96% of customers willing to recommend the car to friends. Nissan now offers a strong line-up of 23 diverse and innovative models in Europe under the Nissan and Datsun brands.