Avoiding Car Crashes during Holiday Shopping Season

 Posted on December 00,0000 in Car Accidents

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, and has traditionally been designated as the “official” kickoff for holiday shopping. So for the next four weeks, motorists can count on increased traffic, especially during the evening hours and weekends, as people take to the roads and head for the malls. However, with the increased amount of people on the roads, how does one stay safe from car crashes? Planning your shopping expedition can help decrease the risk of finding yourself handing over your insurance card to another driver instead of your credit card to a sales clerk.

The first thing you should do is make a list of what gifts you are planning to buy. Then look at the stores where you will be looking/purchasing these gifts. Try to plan your shopping trips by targeting stores that are close to each other, decreasing the number of trips you will have to make. Planning when to go shopping also helps. If you have a flexible schedule, the least crowded times are during the week in the morning hours.

Although there is much heavier traffic on the roads, one of the most common places for car accidents during the holiday season is in parking lots. It can be frustrated driving around a mall parking lot – full to capacity it seems – in search of that one empty parking space. Many drivers tend to take on an “every man for himself” mentality and may not follow the rules of the road, or common courtesy, in their search for a space.

Sometimes drivers are so focused on searching for that space, they forget that there are pedestrians walking in the parking lot too. And if you are a pedestrian, be on special alert that the drivers in the parking lot you are attempting to navigate through may not see you.

Many malls have secondary entrances, which may not have as much traffic as the main entrances do.  There are sometimes more empty spaces available in the outer areas of a parking lot, and may also prove easier to navigate in and out of. When you are parking in a space, if possible, either back in or pull into a second space if available. It is much safer to be able to just pull out of a parking space then to have to back out in reverse.

If you are injured in a car crash caused by a negligent driver, contact an experienced Lake County personal injury attorney to find out what legal compensation you may be entitled to for your pain and loss.

Source:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2013/12/02/tips-on-handling-holiday-shopping-traffic/