As the darker evenings set in, a new survey has revealed that more than one in three drivers have felt unsafe while in a car park.
The survey, carried out by YourParkingSpace.co.uk, found that 38% of respondents claimed they had felt unsafe in a car park, with the figure increasing to 51% of female drivers. Of those polled, 23% said safety and security was the most important factor when choosing a place to park. According to figures from the AA, around 20% of vehicle crime occurs in car parks, and YourParkingSpace.co.uk has published a series of tips to help you stay safe.
Park somewhere that is well lit. Increased lighting levels in dark areas can reduce the fear of crime and opportunities to commit offences. If you’re in a car park, try to park under lights. If you’re parking on a private driveway, try to find one that is overlooked and on a well-lit street.
Opt for a space with traffic and surveillance. When parking in a car park, make sure it’s monitored by CCTV or security personnel. For peace of mind, look for a car park displaying the Safer Parking Scheme’s ‘Park Mark’ sign, which shows that the operator has been assessed to ensure that they’re properly managed and maintained. You can find a list of accredited car parks at www.parkmark.co.uk
Find a space in advance. Aim to park somewhere you’re familiar with. If you have to park in an area you don’t know, check out the options beforehand to save driving around in the dark.
Don’t leave anything on display. Lock all items out of sight, even an old coat may be enough to tempt an opportunist thief. Take all valuables with you, as well as any personal correspondence
Familiarise yourself. When parking in a car park, familiarise yourself with the layout and exits, pedestrian and vehicle routes and closing times.
Stay alert. Be aware of what is going on around you, and don’t get caught up with listening to music, checking emails or texting when walking to and from your vehicle.
Keep your keys to hand. Have your keys to hand so that you’re not stood searching for them by your vehicle when you return.
Never leave your keys in the ignition. You may be tempted do this to warm your vehicle up or de-ice it, but never leave your keys in the ignition – not even for a second.
Report concerns. If you have any safety concerns, or return to find that your vehicle has been broken into, go immediately to security for help and inform the car park management.
“Not all car parks are dark and sinister places, in fact far from it, but a few precautionary steps can significantly reduce the risk of parking-related crime and reduce the worry of being a victim in the first place,” said the company’s MD, Harrison Woods.
It was a pleasure to welcome Richard Skidmore to our new Eurocentral dealership yesterday, on what was an incredibly significant day as he was announced as the new Managing Director of Daimler Truck UK.
Firstly, congratulations to Richard on his well-deserved appointment. With his extensive industry knowledge, strong leadership and deep understanding of both our network and our customers, there’s no doubt he is exceptionally well placed to lead Daimler Truck UK into its next chapter. Building on the strong growth and success achieved by Daimler Truck in recent years, we are confident Richard will continue to drive the business forward. We look forward to continuing to strengthen our partnership under his leadership.
Richard`s visit also provided the perfect opportunity to showcase the fantastic progress being made on our new £8 million, state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz Trucks and Daimler Buses dealership at Eurocentral.
The project is progressing exactly as planned, with the facility firmly on track for completion in October, ahead of welcoming our first customers in the first week of November. Each week brings us closer to opening what will be one of the UK’s most advanced commercial vehicle dealerships, delivering an exceptional experience for customers across Scotland and providing a first-class environment for our colleagues and manufacturer partners.
Thank you to Richard for taking the time to visit us during such an exciting week. We look forward to welcoming you back when the doors officially open.
Are you passionate about delivering exceptional customer service and looking for your next career move?
We`re looking for a Service Advisor to join our award-winning team at Ciceley Commercials Darwen.
As the first point of contact for our customers, you`ll play a key role in ensuring vehicles are maintained and returned to the road as quickly and efficiently as possible. If you`re organised, customer-focused and thrive in a fast-paced environment, we`d love to hear from you. View the full job description and apply on our website.
What a fantastic day at our Ciceley golf day at @boltonoldlinksgolf ⛳
The weather may have tested us with a wet start, but once the skies cleared it turned into a brilliant day of golf, great company, and friendly competition.
We`re also delighted to have raised £535 for @eastlancshospice – a cause that means so much to our team and local community. A huge thank you to everyone who took part, donated, and helped make the day such a success.
Take a look at some of the highlights from a memorable day on the course! 🎥🏌️♂️💙
To celebrate our recent recognition as Mercedes-Benz Dealer of the Year and Service Team of the Year, colleagues across the group enjoyed a well-earned lunch from @gogetstuffed 🍟
A huge thank you to Team Ciceley for your hard work, dedication and commitment. These awards are yours. 👏
We caught up with our Dealer Principal, Andy Heys. We asked him some questions about our recent MAR20X renovation. #awardwinning #mercedesbenz #commercial #dealer #truckandvan
Another amazing review for our Blackburn Service Team who continue to deliver outstanding customer service and creating a welcoming experience for every customer who visits us.
From expert support in the workshop to the all-important coffee ☕ — it’s great to see the team’s hard work recognised!
