How To Park Safely

While it might not seem like the most dangerous part of driving, parking your car still has hazards. According to the National Safety Council, around 50,000 crashes happen yearly in parking lots and garages, causing around 60,000 injuries. Here are some tips on safer parking to help prevent you from becoming one of those statistics.

Read More: Car Parking Tips & Rules of the Road

What Not To Do

According to research done by the AA, the most common causes of accidents while parking, and therefore the ones you want to avoid, are:

• Not looking for approaching drivers when pulling out of a spot
• Driving while distracted
• Driving too fast
• Not watching for pedestrians
• Getting aggressive over parking spots

Because they were off the road, respondents to the AA surveys also indicated that they were far more comfortable using their phones. Of those surveyed, the following were the most common activities in a car park:

• Making phone calls (66%)
• Programming a GPS (63%)
• Texting (56%)
• Using social media (52%)
• Sending/receiving email (50%)
• Taking pictures or watching videos (49%)

This level of distraction at the end of the drive can end up causing an accident, so, just like with the rest of your drive time, keep your phone out of your hand until you’ve finished parking.

How To Park Safely 

Your driving lessons will include most of what you need to know about parking safely. The trick to parking safely is to remember what you’ve been taught, put it into action, don’t use your phone, and don’t get complacent just because you aren’t on the road.

As a quick refresher, here are some of the more vital safety tips to review:

• Always look around for oncoming traffic
• Slow down
• Watch for pedestrians, especially for kids who are smaller and may run out between cars.
• Don’t fight over a parking spot. Parking a little farther away only takes a few extra seconds and can be good exercise.
• Keep your phone put away until the car is in park
• Don’t cut through parking lots or parking rows. Stay in the driving lanes
• Park in well-lit spots for added safety at night
• Lock your valuables in your trunk