Method for preventing or reducing collision damage to a parked vehicle

A method for reducing a likelihood and/or severity of damage to a parked vehicle caused by a collision with an approaching vehicle performing a parking operation, comprising:

• operating a system on-board the parked vehicle to detect the approaching vehicle;
• determining a risk of collision between the parked vehicle and the approaching vehicle;
• transmitting at least one of an audible and a visible warning signal from the parked vehicle if the risk of collision is sufficiently high;
• operating the system to monitor whether the approaching vehicle reacts to the warning signal;
• and
• if the approaching vehicle does not react to the warning signal, moving the parked vehicle away from the approaching vehicle.

A method for reducing a severity of damage to a parked vehicle, comprising:

• monitoring at least one parking space adjacent to the parked vehicle using a system on-board the parked vehicle to detect an approaching vehicle performing a parking operation;
• determining a risk of a collision between the parked vehicle and the approaching vehicle;
• transmitting at least one of an audible and a visible warning signal from the parked vehicle if the risk of collision is sufficiently high;
• monitoring whether the approaching vehicle reacts to the warning signal by reducing the risk of collision;
• determining whether sufficient space exists adjacent to the parked vehicle to permit the parked vehicle to avoid the collision by moving away from the approaching vehicle;
• and
• if the approaching vehicle does not react to the warning signal and sufficient space to avoid the collision does not exist, moving the parked vehicle away from the approaching vehicle by an amount to permit a controlled contact between the parked vehicle and the approaching vehicle.