Think back on the last time you narrowly missed having a motorist strike you in a parking lot. You likely don’t have to reflect very far back to think of such an instance. There will likely be an uptick in these close calls over the next few months as more people venture to different events or head out shopping for goods or gifts for the upcoming holidays.
If you’re wondering why there’s an expectation that there will be an uptick in parking lot accidents come this upcoming fall and winter, it has to do with the primary reason these incidents occur: Driver distractions are a big problem.
How often do parking lot accidents result from distractions?
Data published by the National Safety Council (NSC) captures how likely it is for motorists to find themselves distracted while driving through parking lots. The following percentages of motorists admitted that they’d do the following when traveling through a parking lot:
- Exchange emails, take photos, text, watch videos, use social media: 49%
- Use their GPS: 63%
- Answer the phone and have a conversation: 66%
NSC researchers learned that adults were 6% more likely than teens to use their phones in a parking lot. Teens were 6% more likely to groom themselves while operating their vehicle in a parking lot than their adult counterparts. The same researchers also discovered that motorists tend to be more distracted in parking lots around the holidays when they have more on their to-lists to do, and they’re more stressed.
What is the correlation between distractions and accidents?
Distractions may lead to motorists not noticing things like:
- If a child (or anything else) walks behind the vehicle or enters into one of the car’s blind spots before they back out
- Any signals a motorist gives to warn you of what they’re going to do next
- Traffic signs warning them to yield to a pedestrian or motorist’s right of way
- A distracted motorist may also have difficulty staying in their lane.
Motorists who are distracted often fail to regulate their speed, leading to parking lot crashes being quite catastrophic. Your high medical costs coupled with your inability to work during your recovery can be financially crippling. Fortunately, Mississippi law may allow you to recover compensation in your case depending on the circumstances surrounding your incident.
