While you’re out holiday shopping, make sure to prioritize safety over finding the perfect parking spot.
More than 150,000 crashes take place in parking lots in B.C. each year, and while most of them happen at low speeds, dealing with even a minor crash is enough to ruin anyone’s holiday spirit. A sample of just seven mall parking lots in B.C., done in 2017, showed that most crashes occurred in December, happened between noon and 3 p.m., and took place on a Friday or Saturday.
While most people are driving slowly in a parking lot, the lots themselves are filled with distractions and hazards, including increased congestion at holiday time, heavy pedestrian activity, excited children, and errant shopping carts. Here are a few tips to help keep you, your vehicle, and everyone else safe.
• The rules of the road still apply, even in mall parking lots. Avoid cutting diagonally through a lot: travel only in the appropriate lanes, and pay attention to lane markings and one-way arrows. And don’t use your phone unless/until you’re safely parked.
• Try to back into a parking spot, so that when you leave you have a better view of what’s around you. Be courteous to other drivers, though, especially if backing in means an 18-point turn that blocks the lane while you manoeuvre into position.
• Instead of circling endlessly to get a spot that’s close to the entrance, pick a spot that’s further away and out of high-traffic areas; it will probably save you time in the long run.
• Slow down and watch for hazards, like a vehicle suddenly backing out of a spot or a pedestrian darting into the lane.
• Don’t follow a shopper and then wait for them to load their car, buckle up, and leave; you’re simply blocking everyone behind you (and possibly others who are waiting to pull out).
• Did someone else take “your” spot? Instead of giving them a piece of your mind, take a deep breath and let it go. ’Tis the season of goodwill and peace on Earth, after all.
