Parking Lots Are Riskier Than You Think
Tens of thousands of crashes occur in parking lots and garage structures annually, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries. And, around the holidays, parking lots become even more dangerous.
Key points
Factors such as distracted driving, speeding, more frequent turning and higher pedestrian count are among the reasons that these incidents occur.
In addition to vehicles, parking lot surfaces can play a role in injuries and incidents
Auto insurers report the number of claims spike on Black Friday and run above normal throughout the holiday shopping season. The number of incidents is probably higher than insurance claims indicate, as many fender-benders go unreported.
So Many Distractions
In an NSC public opinion poll, 66% of drivers nationwide said they would make phone calls while driving through parking lots. Respondents also said they would:
Program GPS systems (63%)
Text (56%)
Use social media (52%)
Send or receive emails (50%)
Take photos or watch videos (49%)
NSC found teens (59%) were more likely to engage in personal grooming than adults (53%) while driving in parking lots, but less likely to be on the phone (60% vs. 66%).
During the hectic holiday season, drivers and pedestrians also are likely to be distracted by extensive to-do lists and are hurriedly trying to get from one place to another.
One way for consumers to steer clear of trouble is to pick a lot where pedestrian traffic is restricted and video surveillance equipment is used to monitor the facility.
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