20% of drivers keep quiet about 'smash-and-run'

As many as 20% of motorists would not own up if they damaged a parked car, a survey showed today.

And around 20% said it would depend on what car they hit as to whether they left their details, the poll insurance company elephant.co.uk found.

A total of 45% of the 3,000 motorists questioned said they had had their own parked car damaged with only 15% of those lucky enough to be left the details of the culprit.

The poll showed:

:: Two-thirds would not leave their details if there was no obvious damage to the car they hit;

:: Only 1% would leave details if they hit a hot hatch such as a Volkswagen Golf GTi;

:: 61% of women and 56% of men would always leave their details if they caused visible damage;

:: Regionally, Wales and London has the least honest motorists in respect of smash-and-run incidents, while the most honest drivers are in Scotland, Northern Ireland and south east England;

:: 25% of those aged 18 or under would not confess if they caused minor damage to a friend's car, while only 6% of those over 55 would fail to own up;

:: Of those who have been a victim of a smash-and-run, around half accepted it as as just one of those things, while 9% called the police and 1% sought revenge by damaging the culprit's car.

Elephant.co.uk managing director Brian Martin said: "It's a shame that so few people would be honest if they hit someone else's car. You have to ask yourself how would you feel if someone did that to you?

"It would seem that a large group of motorists wouldn't even confess to their friends if they were driving their car and damaged it. I guess the moral of this is only let the friends you trust drive your car."