Accidents can occur at pretty much any time while on the road. However, what you might not take into consideration, is that accidents can occur when you’re getting off the road as well. Parking lot accidents are not only a headache for you, but they slow things down for other drivers too. Therefore, it’s helpful to know how to avoid them…
Parking Lot Accidents: More Common Than You Think
Watch your speed
Speed is a major contributor to parking lot accidents. Parking lots are very busy areas, with a lot of people coming in and out of them. Therefore, if you’re trying to speed through one, you can easily get yourself into an accident. More often than not, these accidents could’ve been avoided if you slowed down.
This is why so many parking lots have slow posted speed limits. However, you might be better off going even slower than those speeds. For instance, keeping your speed capped at 5 mph can give you plenty of time to respond to potential changes and avoid an accident.
Poor parking etiquette
Another common cause of parking lot accidents is poor parking etiquette. There’s a lot of things which can anger drivers in a parking lot. It might be a driver who is trying to back into a spot, but can’t quite get it, holding up traffic. Or, it might be someone waiting for a parking space to open, preventing others from going around.
This anger can lead to frustrated drivers, and potential accidents as people try to get around them. As a result, it’s important to try to avoid being in these situations. Driving forward into a parking space is always easier and faster than backing in. Plus, there might be more open spots a bit further back. It might be a bit of a walk, but it’ll be much easier to find a spot.
Issues backing out
Backing out of a parking space can lead to parking lot accidents in two ways. First off, you might back out and hit someone who doesn’t see you. Secondly, you might be the driver hit by someone backing out into your blind spot. Both of these outcomes can be avoid by paying extra attention, and yielding to the other driver when needed.