Parking Spots Parking Spaces
It is not an autobahn. It is not a racetrack. It is not even a street. The parking lot is just a parking lot. When I had my first accident (and my car was brand new without even a license plate when that happened) a couple of years back, I thought I was going to either kill myself or die; well, I almost did die, but thankfully, I did not. I went into my school’s parking lot, when I saw that there were two parking lots in one area: one for students, and one for faculty and staff. I did not know which way to turn in, so I made a right turn into the faculty/staff parking lot, where there was a little “spike strip” that would mean when you back up, “severe tire damage” may occur. I thought, “Oh man, I turned in the wrong way.” I made a 3-point-turn back to the main parking lot, when I heard a “ding” sound coming from my phone; I went to check my phone, when all of a sudden, BAM! I rear-ended someone without even noticing. Luckily, as I have mentioned no one was hurt. To make a long story short (and less boring), here are some tips you should think about while driving in parking lots.
-Maintain eye contact with the road-
Watch the road. I cannot stress this enough. If you get a text message, do not pick up that phone. Driving is a big responsibility, and if you rear-end someone or if someone hits you, you or the other party may be liable for damages, and either of you will have to pay for the damages (unless you discuss this with your insurance company). Looking both ways before crossing the street when walking is the same thing when driving. You do not want to end up running over an 80-year old blind lady, do you?
-Keep your speed low-
As I have mentioned, it is a parking lot; it is not a racetrack or even a street. So, please, watch the speed limit (if there is one), and do not do any jackrabbit starts from every stop sign trying to show off. There are pedestrians and parents with kids trying to cross the street. Be patient and let them cross. If the speed limit says 5 mph, drive 5 mph; not 6, not 10, not 15 mph (except in residential areas).
-Careful backing out/pulling out-
If you are really in a rush to get somewhere, be patient. Backing out at 5 mph without checking the back windscreen (windshield) or your rear/side view mirrors can be really dangerous, and you may never know when that idiot may run into you at 15 mph; or maybe, that “idiot” turns out to be you because you did not check clearly for other cars. Pull out slowly (if you back-parked into the parking space) and check to the left and right of you.
-Be careful of small parking spaces-
Even if you drive a subcompact or compact car, you might be saying to yourself, “I can park here, no problem.” But that parking space might even be smaller than your car; a motorcycle or a scooter may be able to park in that spot. You know what they say, “Size matters.” If you park into a space too small and your car is…not that small, you might hit other cars, and may be liable for the damages.
-Invest in blind spot mirrors, parking sensors, or a backup camera-
Most auto parts stores sell small blind spot mirrors that can easily be stuck onto your side view mirrors, thanks to their sticky adhesive. They cost about $1 to $2 a pop (or a pair), and they are a great investment if you think your car has very huge blind spots. If your car has a backup camera, parking sensors and/or blind spot monitors, then you are in luck. But I would not go for the aftermarket backup cameras, though; not really worth the investment to me.
There you have it; you have five simple steps of accident avoidance in public parking lots. Of course, even though we have been driving for 2 years, 10 years, or even 20 or 30 years, we may not be 100% experts in parking in [tight] parking spaces. Do not rush or be hasty on things; take it easy on things and your patience will be rewarded.
