The moment you notice
You walk back to your car in a Tesco car park. There's a fresh scratch along the passenger door, a chunk of paint missing on the wing mirror, and a dent that wasn't there this morning. No note under the wiper. No apologetic driver waiting. Nothing.
This happens roughly 1.7 million times a year in the UK, according to Association of British Insurers figures. Two-thirds of parked-car incidents result in no note left. Most of them cost the driver their insurance excess (£250-500 typical) plus a bump in premium.
Here's the UK-specific playbook for what to do in the next 24 hours to maximise your chances of a) catching them and b) making the insurance claim as smooth as possible.
What to do in the first 60 minutes
1. Don't move the car yet
Before you drive away, take photos. Multiple angles, close and wide, with something in shot that identifies the location (a shop sign, a car park number, a road name plate). If there's paint transfer from the other car, photograph the colour — insurance loss adjusters will ask.
If you moved the car before you noticed, that's fine, but write down the exact space you were parked in.
2. Look around for witnesses immediately
Most people who witnessed a car park bump don't stay to leave a note themselves — but they will happily tell you if you ask within the same hour. Ask people at the checkout, the trolley collector, the security guard, the shop next door. Someone almost always saw something.
Ask specifically: I've just come back to a scratched car — did you see anyone reversing into a silver Corsa here in the last hour? Names and phone numbers of anyone helpful.
3. Check for CCTV — but don't rely on the shop
Most supermarket car parks have CCTV. Most also have a policy of only releasing footage to the police. So the sequence is: report to police first (see step 5), then the shop will release footage to the officer, not to you.
Ask at the customer service desk anyway. Note the CCTV camera positions and roughly what time you parked and returned. This helps the police request the right footage segment later.
4. Check nearby cars for dashcams pointing your way
Modern dashcams often have parking mode — they record continuously when the car is off. If a nearby car looks newer and has a windscreen dashcam, leave a note on that car: Hi, my car was damaged next to yours between 9am and 11am on 15 May. If your dashcam has parking mode, could I please contact you? — followed by your number.
About 1 in 5 people say yes. It's the single biggest way UK hit-and-runs on parked cars actually get solved.
5. Report to the police within 24 hours
UK law requires you to report a hit-and-run to the police within 24 hours (Road Traffic Act 1988, section 170). This is important even if you'll claim on insurance without their help — because your insurance may refuse a claim you didn't report to police.
Call 101 (not 999 — 999 is for emergencies and injury). You'll get a crime reference number. Keep it, you'll need it for insurance.
Do not report on the police online form only. Follow up with a phone call to make sure you get the crime reference.
6. Report to your insurance within 5 working days
Most UK insurers require notification within 5 working days. Even if you're not sure yet whether you'll claim, notify them — a notification isn't a claim, and it protects you if the other driver is later identified and you want to pursue them.
The 24-hour follow-up checklist
Once the immediate steps are done:
What actually catches hit-and-run drivers
Based on cases where they get caught, the top four:
5% of cases get solved through other means (paint chip forensics if the police take a real interest, ANPR trawls if you have a time and rough location).
What almost never solves it: posting angrily on Twitter or the local Facebook group without any specifics.
The modern angle — QR contact stickers on parked cars
Here's the thing very few people know: the number of UK cars with a QR sticker inside the windscreen is quietly rising. If you're the person who hit a car (accidentally, in a tight space), you can now scan their sticker with your phone camera and send them a message — I've bumped your rear passenger door, no serious damage, my number is 07XXX. I'll leave my details under your wiper too.
The scanning driver never sees the parked car owner's number. The owner gets a WhatsApp within 30 seconds and can respond then and there. It turns what would have been a hit-and-run into a 30-second exchange.
This is what TapReach does. From £7.99 as a one-time sticker, made in Manchester. If your car is old, expensive, or you park in tight car parks a lot, it's worth having one — because a driver who wants to do the right thing but can't reach you often ends up leaving a note that blows away instead.
Related: why leaving your phone number on your dashboard isn't safe in 2026.
What if you were the one who hit them
Quick note if you're reading this because you accidentally hit a parked car and left before you could find the owner:
The most important thing
Whether you're the victim or the accidental cause, act fast — within the first hour. Photos, witnesses, dashcams. After 24 hours the trail goes cold rapidly, and after 5 working days most insurance windows have closed.
And if you want to make the next incident easier on everyone, a £7.99 QR sticker inside your windscreen means the honest driver who accidentally taps your bumper actually has a way to tell you. See also our full guide to what a QR contact sticker for your car does.
FAQ
Do I have to report a hit-and-run to the police in the UK? Yes — you must report it within 24 hours if you weren't at the car at the time of the incident. Call 101 and get a crime reference number. Insurance may refuse the claim without this.
Will my insurance premium go up if someone hit my parked car? Often yes — even if it wasn't your fault, insurers count the claim on your record. Compare the cost of the repair vs your excess plus the likely premium bump before claiming. Sometimes paying out of pocket saves money long-term.
How can I find out who hit my parked car? The best sources are dashcam footage from cars parked nearby, CCTV from the shop or car park (which police request after you report), and eyewitness accounts collected within the same hour. Post on local Facebook groups as a last step.
Protect your vehicle. Keep your number private.
TapReach QR stickers from £7.99. No app needed. Number stays private.
Get your sticker