THE Government's safe car parking schemes have done nothing to alleviate drivers' fears of using them, according to a study into car parking. The study, entitled Parking Perils, was commissioned by the Norwich Union involving 500 motorists.

It revealed that more than six million motorists have fallen victim to crime in Britain's car parks and women in particular are frightened of using multi-storeys and would rather use open air car parks. Norwich Union has produced a safe car parking guide in view of the results which gives motorists helpful tips about what to look for when selecting a safe parking spot. Safety in car parks is a key area for the Vehicle Crime Reduction Action Team which is headed by Ford fleet operations director Mike Wear, who welcomed the study saying: 'Anything has to help raise awareness of the reduction of crime.'