Bird droppings cause £57 million worth of damage to cars annually, according to research by Zurich Insurance. Data - ahead of the summer influx of birds to the UK - warns that the hot weather and bird lime can cause a costly accident.
Some 89% of driver have receive a ‘bird strike’ - with 4% picking poor parking spots and being hit on a daily basis.
Droppings, however, can be more than just unsightly and unsanitary. Some 38% of motorists whose cars have been hit by bird droppings have reported permanent damage, with 11% suffering lasting dull spots on their car’s paintwork and 8% from permanent discolouration.
One in 12 has suffered acidic bird muck eating away their car’s paintwork, while 13% of drivers hit by the excrement have scratched their car’s paintwork when trying to remove droppings.
Aside from the cost of repairing the damage it causes, bird lime can also have an impact on a car’s resale value. Thirteen per cent of drivers affected by droppings claim the damage has knocked off more than £200 from their car’s selling price, with 7% claiming it devalued their car by more than £400.
Silver vehicles are worst affected with 92% of owners reporting a direct hit, compared with 86% of drivers of green. And there is me believing birds are colour blind!
Jackie Violet – Female First