Space invaders? Most say ‘meh’
Most drivers aren’t bothered by car park space invaders, according to a 2025 sa move poll.
We asked you, our readers, how you react when other drivers park right next to your car, even though plenty of other spaces are available.
The results are in, with a whopping 6255 responses to the poll.
The results
| Poll options | |
|---|---|
| Yes, it’s really annoying | 1698 |
| It depends on my mood | 256 |
| No, there are more important things in life to stress over | 4301 |
What you said
Many people mentioned the fear of having their car dented or scratched by careless drivers or passengers.
One motorist said: “My car has been dinged three times by the vehicle next to mine and none of the people left a note.”
Other sa move readers explained that access becomes difficult when another vehicle is too close.
“Today’s larger cars make it harder to fully open the door, so at my age it’s not as easy getting in and out,” a motorist said.
Many readers said their reaction depended on how well the neighbouring car was parked.
A motorist said: “As long as they’ve parked properly and they’re not too close, then it doesn’t worry me.”
Two other drivers summed up the majority of responses, saying “It’s a minor issue in life” and “Life’s too short to stress over small things”.
What we’ve learnt
Let’s face it. We all come across some pretty ordinary parkers when we’re out and about. But, as RAA’s Senior Manager of Road Safety and Infrastructure, Charles Mountain, says, the only thing we can do as drivers is to set a good example by parking in the middle of the bay, parallel with the lines, and hopefully others will follow.
“Just as we can’t choose our neighbours, we can’t control whether someone parks next to us,” Charles says.
“But provided careless drivers don’t damage our cars, and we can get in and out of our cars, perhaps life is too short to stress about such things.”