It is that time of year again when the shopping spending spree can be mayhem. While just getting over the madness of Black Friday, you are tasked with an additional holiday of gift giving in the form of Christmas. Now while there are more and more consumers doing their shopping online these days, there are others that have left it too late and haven’t given enough time for Amazon to ship out the items in time to be opened on Christmas morning. But with this late surge in visits to the shopping mall comes an added danger; getting into an auto accident in the jam-packed parking lot. Here at Sudden Impact Auto, although minor dings in your car will benefit us, we believe that everybody can do with avoiding these incidents over the busy holidays.

Auto Accidents in Parking Lots

There is a misconception that auto accidents are less likely to happen in parking lots due to the decreased speed. But really the opposite is true, you’re more likely to experience an auto accident in a parking lot proportionate to out on the open road due to people’s overly relaxed attitude while driving in them.

Common Types of Parking Lot Auto Accidents

Here are the five common types of parking lot auto accidents that can occur over the shopping holiday period:

Both drivers are reversing in the same direction and due to distraction could collide easily.
A driver could pull out from a spot (that could be shielded from sight) and collide with the oncoming car.
Similar to (2), a driver could unknowingly reverse into oncoming traffic.
In the holiday rush it is not inconceivable to think that there would be competition for places in the limited parking lots. If two cars are vying for the same spot it can quickly turn into an incident.
While not paying attention to their surroundings, rear end collisions are quite common when stop signs are installed in parking lots.

Distracted Driving in Parking Lots

According to the National Safety Council distracted driving in parking lots is the main cause for these car collisions. When taking a nationwide survey, they found the following to be true when it comes to driving in a parking lot:

66% of drivers make phone calls
63% program GPS systems
56% text
52% use social media
50% send or receive emails
Take photos or watch videos

These statistics are exaggerated even further during the holiday season as people are usually in a hectic rush to cross off their to-do lists in time for Christmas.

Hit and Run Accidents in Parking Lots

We will be focusing on car damage when it comes to hit and run accidents in parking lots as opposed to personal injury cases. With all of the forms of distracted driving combined it is easy to see how some people can hit objects that are not in motion. Losing concentration for a split second can result in scraping parked vehicles while trying to squeeze into an open spot. For small dings in your vehicle, our PDR (paintless dent repair) service will be required which is quick and cheap. If the paint has been damaged an experienced auto body technician will have to inspect the vehicle and see what the best course of action is.

External Causes for Parking Lot Car Accidents

There are some instances when neither driver is really at fault for a car accident that occurs in a parking lot.

Inadequate Parking Lot Lighting

Dimly lit parking lots can be hazardous at the best of times, as vehicles can creep out from the shadows and might only give you a moment’s notice to react in the dark. Poorly lit parking lots can also obscure railings or small parking pillars which can further damage your vehicle. If you own or manage a lot, in order to avoid liability it might make sense to install new LED parking lot lighting.

Slippery Parking Lot Surfaces

Less likely to happen in the mild temperatures of Las Vegas, but slippery surfaces that can turn icy with the cold can cause auto accidents. If there is also a considerable amount of water on the surface coupled with worn threads on tires, this can also be a cause for concern.

Auto Body Repair for Parking Lot Auto Accidents

Parking lot auto accidents are one of the most common incidents that we come across in the auto body industry. This can be especially true around the busy shopping period between Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you have been in an auto collision and need a quick fix before or straight after the holidays, bring your vehicle in to us for a free auto body inspection. We are located at 3595 Boulder Hwy, Las Vegas. You can also call us at 702-457-3002 to set up an appointment.