Parking Lot Danger Zones

Many parking lot accidents happen because drivers get too relaxed when doing errands that they have done a thousand times.

You can avoid the most common types of accidents if you follow a few easy rules.

Check your surroundings before you get in the car. Look for anyone sitting in drivers seat of nearby cars or anyone getting ready to get into a nearby car. So when you back out, you will be aware of other cars that are getting ready to pull out.

Look in all directions when you are backing out or pulling into a parking space. Today many drivers rely too heavily on back up cameras or just rear view mirrors. Look over both shoulders and through the rear window for brake lights or reverse lights on cars close to you.

Inch out of the parking spot as slowly as possible. Cars in the aisle have the right-of-way. 

Watch out for distracted pedestrians. A lot of people are distracted by cell phones, kids or shopping carts and are not paying attention to cars backing out of parking spaces.

Slow down in parking lots. Speed limits vary but you need to keep and an eye out for other cars backing out, people cutting through parked cars and runaway kids or shopping carts.