The recommendations help to avoid crashes in parking lots during the holiday season.
AAA Texas has released a wealth of information for drivers in the state who want to avoid insurance claims and the events that cause them. This season sends millions of people to busy parking lots and across cities, states and even the country to visit loved ones. This comes with hazards and risks that can be broadly avoided with the right tips.
20 percent of all collisions occur in parking lots and can require expensive repairs to fix the damage.
The span of time between Thanksgiving and Christmas comes with the largest number of auto insurance claims. This is understandable, as one in five collisions happens in parking lots, and everyone is swarming to malls and stores at this time of year. Cars collide with each other, with other property, or even with pedestrians.
This is meant to be a particularly festive time of year, but it can easily become traumatizing and expensive when extra caution is not taken.
According to AAA Texas, there are specific things drivers can do in parking lots to avoid auto insurance claims.
The parking lot collision – and associated auto insurance claim – avoidance tips recommended including:
- Pay attention to what’s going on around you, not just in front of you. This is no time to be distracted. Watch other vehicles – moving and stopped – as well as pedestrians.
- Do not pick up your phone for any reason while you are driving in a parking lot. It’s distracting enough on the road, but in a parking lot, there are many hazards going on all around you and a fraction of a second makes a big difference.
- Drive slowly. When there are an excessive number of hazards around, drive even more slowly.
- Obey all traffic and directional signals.
- Don’t try cutting across parking spaces as a shortcut.
- Don’t just use your cameras when backing up. Look behind you and use your mirrors to check blind spots for people and other vehicles that may cross behind you all of a sudden.
- Be particularly careful when maneuvering around small children, pets, parents with strollers or anyone looking at their phone.
- Turn on your headlights, even in the daytime.
