Parking lots can be scary…

Seemingly, driving in a parking lot is not a hard task. After all, all lanes are marked clearly, all vehicles move slowly and the driver has no traffic controls or driving rules to observe. That is not the case. Actually, the number of parking lot vehicle crashes account for around 14% of the annual car insurance claims in the United States. Some studies also suggest that around 20% of the crashes occur within the parking lot.

Put differently, if you are among the drivers who spend 20% of their total driving time in parking lots, you are likely to get into collisions there than in other places. Ironically, the fact that most drivers believe that parking lots are safe places makes them more dangerous. A quick example: drivers are more likely to ignore traffic signs and lane markings in the parking lots because they think that the law applied in highways does not apply there. You have to keep in mind that the primary reason you have to follow road rules is not that you will get a road ticket if you fail to do that but because they are there to help you drive safely. Each time you ignore the road signs or lane markings, you are more likely to cause a crash.

Also, parking lots are among the few places where pedestrians and drivers share one roadway. If a pedestrian emerged suddenly from the gap between two cars, unprepared drivers can act in panic and cause a crash – the outcome can be extremely dangerous for the pedestrian. Actually, statistics show that around 20% of the pedestrian-vehicle collisions in the country happen in parking lots and over 20% of those collisions result in incapacitating injuries. Some pedestrians have also died in such crashes and the working population is at the greatest risk.

Due to low speeds, crashes that happen in parking lots are rarely serious. However, the statistics demonstrate that it is among the problems that you should take seriously. Including when there is no one hurt, the crashes on parking lots can be expensive and inconvenient, particularly if the crash will increase your insurance rates. That is why the drivers in most counties have to complete drivers ed classes that include the parking lot safety.

Even though parking in lots is generally less complicated than parking on the streets, drivers also experience unique risks when driving on them. The spaces are designed to allow easier entering and exit of vehicles but because the driving lanes are very narrow and pedestrians and drivers share the same lanes, you have to move slowly, remain alert and signal your intention each time you want to park in the lot.

In a parking lot, most drivers focus on finding a parking spot instead of driving safely. If you concentrate more on finding open spaces, you might fail to notice pedestrians in front of you or the vehicles approaching from the other side. Even more, people parked in between two vehicles might have a difficult time seeing an approaching vehicle. That can be extremely dangerous if the driver only cares about finding a parking spot. Pay attention, drive defensively and follow the law. That way, you will avoid crashes.