Runaway shopping trolleys prove costly
22/07/2009
Damage to cars from shopping trolleys in WA is costing on average more than $1,000* to repair, according to new research by SGIO.
SGIO State Manager Colin Tierney said damage to cars from shopping trolleys could prove costly, as well as the added inconvenience it caused to vehicle owners.
“SGIO receives on average six or seven claims a month for shopping trolleys ramming, scratching, denting and bumping cars in car parks and on the street and the cost of repairs can be very high” he said.
“In addition, the logistics of having to get around without a car for a few days while your car gets fixed can create a real inconvenience for many people, especially working mums and dads.”
Mr Tierney said that SGIO claims data also revealed that the danger of discarded and abandoned trolleys, carelessly left in parking spots or resting against poles, was not just confined to car parks.
“Motorists have also hit shopping trolleys dumped on the side of the road or in residential driveways” he said.
“We’ve also had customers tell us how they have swerved to avoid a trolley and hit another object instead.”
“We encourage shoppers to be extra careful with where they leave their trolleys and when at all possible return them to their trolley bays, to help others avoid a potentially costly problem.”
Shopping trolley claims breakdown*
• About three quarters of shopping trolley-related claims are for damage caused by ‘runaway’ or out of control trolleys
• About one in five shopping trolley-related claims are for damage caused by cars hitting unreturned trolleys in car parks or colliding with other objects while avoiding the trolley
• About one in twenty shopping trolley-related claims are for damage caused by cars hitting abandoned trolleys in the street
* Based on SGIO claims data.