Stay Clear of the Clampers

Back in August last year, I wrote a post about an unfortunate experience I had when my car was clamped and towed away. Now, I have to admit that it was my fault as I had parked on a clearway which was in force after 4pm and was late back to my car. Whether you take it on the chin and admit you were wrong, or feel that you have been hard done by, it’s never a nice experience returning to your parking space and finding your car clamped or worse… gone!

A report published by the Irish Mail on Sunday revealed that Thursdays is the most common day to be clamped and July was the busiest month for clampers. This rings true for me as I was clamped on both a Thursday and in July, so I can take a crumb of comfort knowing that I was stung when the clampers were at their most active.

Unsurprisingly the roads surrounding some of the capital’s largest shopping centres are a hot-spot for clampers, so be aware! If you are putting money in the meter, keep your eye on the time and be sure to top it up when needed. Also be aware that some parking areas only allow a maximum parking time of three hours, so all day parking there will land you with a clamp on your wheel.

The report showed that the lowest number of clampings took place on Mondays, however it also states that clampers are most active between 1pm and 2pm, with clampers being particularly efficient on Tuesday and Wednesday. What we can glean from this study is that everyday is a busy day for the clampers and when you pop out to grab your lunch and leave your car in a no-parking zone, the clampers won’t be too far away and ready to pounce, hitting you with an €80 fine and the hassle of waiting to be released!

Dublin city centre is not cheap to park in by any means. Public car parks are busy and expensive if you fancy a day out shopping in the capital, and on-street parking is becoming more costly and less available. Where possible we recommend using public transport. The Luas now has great links right into the heart of the capital and most stops have large car parks which cost only €4 a day to park, while some Dart stations offer free parking at weekends.

We all know running a car can be expensive, so why not see how much we can help you save on car insurance? Call us on 01 4003400 or hit Get a Quote now.