‘Tis the season for holiday shopping, which means it’s also the season for holiday parking. With so many people in the same mindset, there’s a lot more congestion and that can lead to frustration and, unfortunately, fender benders. While there may not be a way to completely avoid the frustrations, there are a few things you can do to make your holiday shopping trips a whole lot easier (and safer!). Many of these may seem pretty straight forward, but it’s always good to have a refresher!
Where are the best places to park?
As most of us know all too well, parking lots are madness this time of year, so finding a good spot can be tricky. There are more pedestrians, more cars and far more distractions; people looking on their cellphones being a big one. Poor lighting and maintenance, lack of proper signage and uneven ground are a few others.
With all those distractions going on, you’ll want to spend as little time as possible driving around the parking lot, so try and avoid circling around until you find the best spot (which will also help you avoid the dreaded parking spot faceoff). Leave a little earlier if you can and plan to park a little further away from the entrance, preferably in a well-lit area. The pros? Not only will you be able to get a few more steps in, but parking further from the entrance will help you steer clear of the door dings and dents that can happen when you’re squeezing in between other vehicles.
4 Quick Tips on How to Avoid a Parking Lot Accident
Stay in your lane – Just because you’re in a parking lot, doesn’t mean the rules of the road should go out the window. Though it may be tempting, try to avoid cutting across the parking lot diagonally and stick to your designated lanes so you don’t run into anything.
Rethink reverse – The National Highway Safety Act in the U.S estimates that “267 people are killed and 1500 are injured each year by drivers who back into them, usually in driveways or parking lots.” Some cars have backup cameras to help with this problem, but it can still be dangerous with more pedestrians coming out from every corner at this time of year. Check all your blind spots and take it slow when reversing – it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Step away from the cart-stalls – Avoid a ding-and-run situation by dodging the cart stalls where shoppers return their carts. People tend to push their cart towards the stall without looking where it’s going, making it an excellent opportunity for your car to take a hit.
Take it easy – Everyone is in a rush this time of year, meaning your chances of getting into an accident go up exponentially. Slow down and take your time. Again, if you can, give yourself some extra time so at least you’re not rushing.
Want some more parking lot safety driving tips? You can find that here.
How to Make a Quick Exit
So, you’re done your shopping and it’s time to find your way out of the parking lot. How can you do that quickly and easily? Hopefully you’ve found the right parking spot that helps you make a quick exit. Some spots put you right into the flow of pedestrian traffic and waste considerable time (yet another advantage of picking a spot farther away from the store). If you really want to speed up the process of getting out of there, here are a couple of quick tips:
Make it easy to keep your car clean – Not only is this the time of year for holiday shopping, it’s also the time of year for snow and ice. Keep a snow brush with an ice scraper in your car so you can clean your car off quickly and get out of dodge. If some light snow is projected, a windshield cover that you can place over the glass to make the clean-up faster may do the trick as well.
Watch your wipers – On that note, if it starts snowing when you’re on your way into the store, lift your wiper blades so it’s easier to scrape your windshield when you get back to your car. Bonus: it also reduces wear and tear on the rubber blades as they won’t be freezing to the glass where they’d need to be pulled off.
Back on in – If you have the chance to reverse into your parking space, do it. It’ll help you make a quicker exit as you can just drive right out of the space. Again, be extremely careful of the extra pedestrians around, use your signals and go slow.
Multi-Stop Shopping? It’s Best to Plan Ahead
No matter where you park, if you’re making multiple stops, you should make sure your purchases are safe as you hop from store to store. Here are a couple of good things to remember:
- Double check that your doors are locked
- Hide the goods in the trunk or under a blanket in the car (something you can plan ahead for before you leave)
- Move spaces if you’re going back into the store after dropping off your purchases (don’t let people see you putting bags in and then leaving again)
- Stay off your phone and always keep your eye out so you can pay attention to your surroundings
- If you have a particularly expensive purchase you’ll be leaving in the car, again, make sure to get it covered
And there you have it. Hopefully these tips will help you make your holiday shopping trips a little less frightful. Have a safe and happy holiday season!