22 August 2017
In the run-up to the last big outdoor events of the summer with Reading and Leeds, Carfest South, The Big Feastival, Creamfields and others fast approaching, we've got parking advice including tips on how to keep track of your car.
It comes as a new device, Car Genie, grants drivers’ number one wish – ‘I will never lose my car’, identified in an AA-Populus driver poll* of more than 17,000.
How do you remember where you parked?
Separate AA-Populus research** revealed that, when using car parks at large summer events:
- More than two fifths (46%) of drivers look for a memorable landmark at the end of the row – rising to more than half (51%) of women
- More than a fifth (22%) look for a landmark beyond the car when parking, so that they can aim straight for it when they return
- In this connected society, only 3% of drivers (10% of 18-24 year olds) currently use an app to help them find their car when the event comes to an end
- 3% say they don’t think about it until it’s too late – and end up wandering the cark park pressing the remote and listening for the beep.
Needle in a haystack
John Snowling, AA Patrol of the Year, said: “Everyone loves festivals and summer shows, but for hundreds of tired travellers, trying to find your car in a field full of vehicles can be like finding a needle in a haystack – especially at night or with kids and camping gear in tow.
trying to find your car in a field full of vehicles can be like finding a needle in a haystack – especially at night or with kids and camping gear in tow
“We’ve been helping drivers park at big summer events such as Glastonbury, Wimbledon and county shows for decades – so it’s no surprise we’ve got a few tips to share!
Top tips from John Snowling, AA Patrol of the Year
- Check out the parking before you go. There may be several entrances and exits for cars or different ways in or out depending on whether you're camping or towing a caravan.
- Make a note of where you parked. If there’s a car park number or colour, or any fixed landmarks nearby, take a picture or jot it down and keep the note with you, along with a map of the event site if there is one.
- The quickest and easiest way is to use an app which shows you the location of your car if you can. Just make sure you pack a portable phone charger as part of your essential event kit.
AA members using the exclusive Car Genie device can see information on their vehicle’s whereabouts so that they never lose their car, helping to find it quickly when the show winds down and crowds start to make their way back to the busy parking areas.
Snowling added: “As well as saving time when the app leads you straight to your car, you’ll earn bragging rights as you walk past the three per cent who didn’t plan ahead.”
* Populus received 17,417 responses from AA members to its online poll between 16 and 18 May 2017
** Populus received 16,239 responses from AA members to its online poll between 13 to 20 June 2017