Christmas Car Parks Strain The Festive Spirit

LONDON – December 16, 2010: Busy Christmas car parks are one of the major stresses of the festive season, especially for women, according to research by Autoquake.com, the UK’s leading online used car retailer.

Autoquake asked 3,000 drivers what they found most maddening about parking when Christmas shopping, scoring from one to ten (with ten being most stressful). The worry of being issued with a penalty parking ticket raised drivers’ heart rates most, scoring an average of 7.2. The next biggest irritation was other people’s parking, scoring 6.7, then finding a free parking space, scoring 6.5.

The survey found a big difference in the attitudes of men and women. Searching for a free space scored 7 on the ‘stress-ometer’ for women, compared with just 5.7 for men. Parking spaces which are too small scored 6.8 for women and 5.5 for men.

“Christmas shopping can be a test of patience,” said Autoquake.com’s CEO, Dermot Halpin. “From heavy traffic, to full car parks, to the worry of picking up a penalty ticket if you’re a few minutes late getting back to the car, it’s a festive headache many of us could do without.

“If you want to avoid the hassle, we’d recommend shopping online,” added Halpin. “Order now and there’s still time to take delivery before Christmas if you hurry. Buying a car as a present may be a bit extravagant but it will last for years! Autoquake.com will be open for business right through the festive season.”