Now that the holidays are over and we are settling into our routines, there are less people on the road. However, people still have to do errands. Unfortunately, accidents are still happening especially with road conditions during Winter. A statistic that is hard to believe though, is how many accidents actually occur in parking lots and parking structures.

It’s reported by the National Safety Council (NSC) that tens of thousands of accidents happen right in the parking lot they are parked in. What are some of the measures we can take to avoid these statistics?

The first thing to think about is how distracted are you? If you have a lot of errands to do, usually your thinking about these as you leave the last location. This can cause problems in the parking lot. Even though you think this is a safe place to think about what is next on the errand list, just because everything around you is moving slowly doesn’t mean you won’t get hit by someone and injured. The best thing to do is to think about what is next while your car is in drive. Don’t text and drive and don’t check your email. Keep the “it can wait” mentality.

A few others things to be aware of when your in a parking lot:

  • Follow the signs
  • Watch when you are reversing sometimes you can’t see everything behind you
  • Watch for children and adults because the may not be watching for themselves
  • Practice safe driving procedures, especially in the dead of winter, during storms

Obviously, for Wisconsin drivers to watch the ice on the parking lot asphalt. You never know when you’re going to hit that patch that carries your car further than you expected and that definitely could cause some issue.

If you’ve hit a pothole recently or haven’t washed your car in a while your sensors could need to be checked. Those will cause problems if you don’t have them checked out.

Lastly, be courteous when you drive, you’re not the only one on the road.