As the final week of Xmas shopping looms over everyone participating, people are understandably hurried and distracted. Of all times, now is when it's most important to show courtesy and patience in parking lots, especially in busy shopping malls where it's sometimes nigh-impossible even to find a space. I thought I'd list a few important situations where parking lot etiquette will make everyone's life a lot easier;
- Follow the Rules: Most large parking lots have speed limits and regulation-style road markings in them. Many parking lot users, perhaps knowing that they are unlikely to be stopped and given a traffic violation ticket pay little attention to these posted signs and rules. It might be obvious to you, but not everyone realizes how much more efficiently traffic moves in parking lots if people follow normal road rules in them and obey the posted signs.
- Position Your Car Accurately: Pulling into your spot all the way and positioning your vehicle evenly between the lines will help other parking lot users to get into their spots easier, but it will also help you to avoid parking lot dings from doors being opened into your vehicle from cars which ended up too close to you.
- Don't Misuse Restricted Use Spaces: Misusing restricted use spaces like handicapped parking spaces, family parking spaces, police parking spaces and compact car spaces may cause one of the aforementioned to park in a poor position and risk someone else's safety and/or convenience. This can obviously have a negative effect on the efficiency of traffic flow in any parking lot.
- Use Patience / Slow Down: Hurrying through a parking lot and compromising on safety can put pedestrians at risk. The more crowded the parking lot, the more pedestrians will be wandering around it, in and among the automobiles. Hitting a pedestrian, even at a low speed can be tragic for everyone involved.
- Be Careful with Buggies: Always place shopping buggies / carts in designated areas. Loose buggies, especially in parking lots which are not level can be very hazardous for vehicles and even pedestrians.
- Watch for Other Drivers' Mistakes: Be observant for drivers backing out of spots with poor visibility, or drivers who may be distracted by a pedestrian or by their search for a parking spot. Defensive drivers watch for the errors of other road users and always leave themselves space to get around a potential problem or hazard.
- Be Courteous & Yield the Right of Way: This is an old driver training mantra that I have heard for the past 25 years or so, but it's important, "Right of way is given, not taken." If there is any question of whose turn it is at a corner in a parking lot, always let the other driver go first. You will never lose more than a few seconds, and you could avoid an annoying holiday-season parking lot fender-bender.
Please respect everyone else out there this holiday season. The extra patience you show and the extra attention you devote to courtesy will not only make the roads safer, it will also get you home in a more relaxed, happy state. Happy Holidays everyone, from Bestway Driver Training!
As the final week of Xmas shopping looms over everyone participating, people are understandably hurried and distracted. Of all times, now is when it's most important to show courtesy and patience in parking lots, especially in busy shopping malls where it's sometimes nigh-impossible even to find a space. I thought I'd list a few important situations where parking lot etiquette will make everyone's life a lot easier;
