Parking can be a nightmare for most drivers. It can be extremely frustrating to find a parking space in crowded areas like shopping centers and malls, filled with road rage and even the threat of an accident. The sudden appearance of obstacles creates a constant risk of bumps, scrapes, and even collisions with pedestrians, which can cause serious damage. Many drivers are in a frantic state as they scramble for open spaces and try to get in and out as quickly as they can. Horns are continually honked as emotions run high. Keeping these points in mind will ensure your own and others’ safety while traversing these perilous environments.
When you drive through a parking structure or lot, you should obey the posted speed limits. Speeding leaves you vulnerable to accidents with vehicles backing out suddenly, or pedestrians who dart out of their vehicles eager to hit the shopping area. In the event of an impending collision, a minimum speed allows you to stop immediately. It is also important to yield the right of way as you would normally on the open road because an empty parking lot is not a lawless area to drive without consideration for others nearby.
In addition to avoiding poorly parked cars, it is also a good idea to avoid parking next to them, since they prevent you from parking within your own space, leaving you vulnerable to bumps and scrapes with other cars who park beside you. Spaces allow you to park outside the marked parking space boundaries when spaces are not available. In addition to perpetuating the problem, compensating for poor parkers will require adjustments from those around you, as well as those around them, and so on. It is also helpful to avoid obstacles in open areas, such as shopping carts; such obstacles can cause unsightly damage and be expensive to fix.
Be careful when backing out of a parking spot, ensuring that you can see what is behind you and that pedestrians and vehicles can see you as well. If there are cars parked on either side of a tight space, it can be hard to see what is behind, which makes it difficult to back out confidently. If you back out slowly, you can reduce your chances of crashing into a vehicle that failed to see you, or that you failed to see, or of striking a pedestrian as you move out.
Most importantly, if you are trying to find a space in a crowded place, like a shopping center, give yourself plenty of time. Taking risks, driving erratically, or becoming enraged when you don’t allow yourself time to calm down can cause panic and stress, leading to accidents. As a result, you will remain in better control of your emotions and make better decisions, resulting in a safer and less stressful trip to a crowded parking lot.