If you have been holiday shopping this year, you have likely noticed that parking lots are extremely busy at this time of year. Unfortunately, parking lots can also be the site of many holiday Miami traffic accidents. Parking lots require pedestrians, trucks, and cars to share the same space and as more trucks, pedestrians and cars converge on parking lots at this time of year, accidents are more likely. You can reduce your risk of Miami pedestrian accidents, truck accidents, and traffic accidents in parking lots this year by following these safety tips:
1) Be aware where trucks park in your mall parking lot. They may park in a separate area behind stores in order to make deliveries. If this is the case, try to park away from the route that trucks would need to take to get to their delivery area. This will keep you safer as you drive to and from your space and walk to and from your car.
2) Give yourself plenty of time to do your shopping and errands. The less time you have, the more frantic you will be and the more rushed, which makes you more likely to make mistakes that could lead to a Miami car accident.
3) Don’t cut corners when driving through a parking lot. Treat parking lots just like roadways, with lanes of traffic. Do not drive across parking spaces, even if they are empty, to get to a far corner of the lot more quickly. You are sharing the parking lot with other vehicles as well as with children and pedestrians. Stick to those lanes where pedestrians and cars expect vehicles to be.
4) Don’t drive distracted. Although you are driving slowly through a parking lot, you need to be even more alert since other vehicles may pull out in front of you or pedestrians may emerge from in between parked cars. When driving through a shopping mall parking lot. Do not check your messages, text, make phone calls, or change your music. Keep your full attention on the road.
5) Be especially careful at entrances and exits. These are the areas where bottlenecks and accidents are more likely to occur, especially as shoppers and delivery trucks are anxious to get in and out of the parking area. Proceed slowly, make eye contact with other drivers, and yield right of way. When a truck is trying to enter to leave the parking lot, provide plenty of room and make sure that you are not following behind the truck too closely – if you cannot see the truck driver in the mirrors, he or she cannot see you.
6) Stay calm. Holiday stress can easily translate to road rage in a shopping parking lot, especially if someone cuts you off or takes a parking space you were trying to drive into. Do your best to stay calm and avoid engaging with stressed out drivers who may be suffering from road rage.
7) Be cautious when walking to and from your car. Make sure that drivers can see you, stick to pedestrian areas, and avoid emerging from in between parked cars. This is especially important if you are shopping at night or in darker conditions, where visibility is poor. In busy parking lots, Miami pedestrian accidents are a real concern.
If you have been injured in a Miami truck accident, contact the Flaxman Law Group to arrange for a free accident consultation to discuss your case. The legal team at the Flaxman Law Group has decades of collective legal and trial experience and have successfully helped to resolve thousands of South Florida truck accident and personal injury cases. With law offices in Miami, Homestead, and Hollywood, the Flaxman Law Group is proud to serve the entire South Florida community.