Parking lots might seem like low-risk environments compared to highways or busy downtown areas, but they can be surprisingly dangerous too.

With tight spaces, limited visibility, and frequent pedestrian traffic, accidents are more common than you might think. Navigating tight parking lots requires extra caution. This is where dash cams become invaluable. Not only do they capture clear evidence of incidents, but many – like all BlackVue dash cams – also offer Parking Mode, allowing them to record even when your car is off. This feature can be crucial in cases of hit-and-runs, ensuring you have the footage needed to identify the culprit.

In this article, we’ll take a look at five real-life parking lot (or parked car) accidents captured on BlackVue dash cams that prove why having one is simply a must.

Shifting the blame

It’s not uncommon for the driver at fault to try to shift the blame to avoid paying for the damage or increasing their insurance rates. Here are two examples of situations, which would have ended up as the dreaded “he said, she said” situations if not for a dash cam.

Our Customer Ayden had just finished shopping and was leaving the parking lot when a red sedan backed up from their parking spot right into Ayden’s vehicle. At first, the other driver was adamant it was not their fault but Ayden’s, and that they wouldn’t be paying for the damage.

BlackVue user quickly downloaded the captured footage of the incident and sent it to the other party’s insurance. They quickly determined that it was the other driver’s fault. It wasn’t Ayden’s first time, either; he told us that the dash cam saved him the headache of fighting with other drivers about who’s at fault not once, not twice, but three times!

In this video, we see a double parked car on a narrow one-way street in front of a hospital, backing up into the BlackVue user Mark’s vehicle. The other driver at first tried to claim that it was Mark who rear-ended him. Then, when Mark told him that he got everything captured on his BlackVue dash cam, the culprit tried to find other excuses. In the end, the other driver was given multiple tickets and the insurance claim process was a breeze for Mark.

Hit-and-run

It’s always a good idea to leave your dash cam recording in Parking Mode when you’re away from your car, especially when it’s parked on the street.

It was pretty easy to check for the BlackVue user Melodia who damaged her car. When contacted, the other driver said he didn’t know he hit something, which the BlackVue dash cam footage showed to be false. The driver, shortly after hitting Melodia’s car, stopped and checked his own vehicle for damage!

Sometimes the parking lot accidents can be shocking, like the one above, sent to us by an anonymous BlackVue user. His brand new car was damaged in a truly bizarre accident. 

During his absence while he was out shopping, another car hit his vehicle, pushing it to the left. It then continued onward, crashing into yet another car before stopping. 

“The footage proved I played no part in the collision and I did not lose my no claim bonus nor I have to pay the excess on my insurance policy.”

Ex-husband caught on camera

And we left the most appalling video for last – a video that clearly shows that a dash cam can be instrumental in providing evidence in a case that would be hard to prove otherwise.

This anonymous BlackVue user was suspecting her ex-husband of harassing her by throwing things at her car for 8 months. She even reported this to police, but they couldn’t do anything as there was no actual evidence of the crime.

Only because of this video recorded by her BlackVue dash cam in Parking Mode she was finally able to prove his fault. The ex-husband was promptly punished for all of his vandalism episodes.

These five parking accidents highlight just how unpredictable situations in parking lots or near parking spaces can be. As the above dash cam footage clips show, investing in a BlackVue dash cam isn’t just about recording your drives – it’s about protecting yourself and your vehicle in every situation, especially in the places you least expect trouble.