Reminder: Parking Lot Safe Driving Tips

One of my (Rob) pet peeves is when people drive diagonally across a parking lot to race to a drive up window (for

Dunkin' Donuts of course). I've seen a lot of near misses of cars with cars and cars with people no matter what the hour. Yet, people who are behind me when I turn into the plaza REFUSE to follow the lines and drive around on the marked street to get to the drive up. Instead they drive diagonally through the lot between parked cars to try and beat me and others who do the right thing. It infuriates me. 2 Weeks ago, 6 people behind me turning into the shopping plaza all drove diagonally through the lot and beat me to the drive through. I had to park and go inside (steaming) and was disgusted at the "me first" attitude that puts lives and property in jeopardy.

   SO, here are some  Parking Lot Safe Driving Tips I found on-line courtesy of the Village of Oswego, Illinois Police Department. LOOK at what #1 is!

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that parking lot crashes account for more than 20 percent of all automobile crash claims. There are many precautionary measures drivers can take to encourage safety while driving through a parking lot. They include:

1.     Obey traffic lanes and avoid cutting diagonally across lots
2.     Obey traffic signs such as stop and no parking signs
3.     When backing out of a parking space, be mindful of vehicles and pedestrians moving behind you
4.     When possible, pull into a parking space nose first so you can avoid having to back out
5.     Watch out for small children and parents pushing baby strollers
6.     Do not race for an open parking space
7.     Drive slowly and use your directional signals
8.     Anticipate the actions of other drivers and pedestrians

Utilizing defensive driving techniques is a good way to improve safety in parking lots and will help prevent property damage and injury. Consequences for reckless drivers can be severe including loss of driving privileges and/or arrest. You are encouraged to be a courteous driver and practice safe driving skills in parking lots at all times.