With the Holidays approaching, cooler weather moving in, and days with less sunlight, there will be more parking, and vehicles will likely park tighter. With tens of thousands of crashes happening in parking lots and garage structures every year, according to the National Safety Council (NSC), unfortunately it is common for auto damage to occur in these parking lots. Where this is an unfortunate event, tragically, hundreds are killed, and thousands are injured in these generally low speed crashes. To help you avoid tragic ends, costly repairs, and inconveniences, we at Top Notch Body Shop & Mechanic would like to share tips on how you can avoid Parking Lot Accidents that can be applied all year long.
Parking Lot Distractions are a Hazard
Before using our phones or programing the GPS, we have all been told to pull over to the side of the road and quite a few these devices require it. This does not indicate that we can stop paying attention in the parking lot, your vehicle needs to actually be in park. At least 50% of American drivers said they will text, use social media, use email, or watch videos in a parking lot according to a NSC public opinion poll. Focus on driving and pay attention to our surroundings 100% of the time is the key to safety behind the wheel.
Parking Lot Driving Safety Tips
Unfortunately, your safety is guaranteed just because you are in a parking lot and everyone is moving slowly. Following the rules is critical since there are many more vehicles moving in different directions and pedestrians walking across the pavement.
– Especially reversing in and out of parking spaces, watch for drivers.
– When reversing, triple check your surroundings.
– Particularly for children and people in wheelchairs, pay attention to pedestrians.
– Drive slowly.
– Follow the signs, arrows, and lines.
Be Aware of Your Surroundings
Being aware of your surroundings in every direction is the most important thing to remember in a parking lot. Keep in mind that these systems are only as accurate as they are well maintained in the event you are relying on things like backup cameras or blind spot notifications. Your sensors could be misaligned, or your cameras could be covered in salt should you have hit a pothole recently, been in an accident, or simply have not washed your vehicle. Look around your car instead of only at the narrow view of your reverse camera since it is your job to keep cameras clean, have the computer systems scanned at your local repair shop, and trust yourself.
Auto Body Services & More in Dallas, Texas (Just Minutes Away from Addison, Balch Springs, Carrollton, Cedar Hill, Coppell, DeSoto, Duncanville, Farmers Branch, Ferris, Garland, Grand Prairie, Grapevine, Irving, Lancaster, Lewisville, Mesquite, Ovilla, Richardson, Rowlett, Sachse, Seagoville, Sunnyvale & Wylie, TX)
In the event your vehicle sustained auto body damage, call in the professionals of Top Notch Body Shop & Mechanic and let our certified technicians make the repairs to restore your vehicle’s auto body. Our technicians use stat-of-the-art equipment and premium products to ensure high-quality and long-lasting results. Call us today for your estimate and we can help you get your damage repairs and car looking amazing and running smoothly.
