Georgia Injury Law Blog
When most people envision a motor vehicle accident, they imagine it occurring on a roadway. However, the National Safety Council found that 1 in every 5 crashes occurs in a parking lot or parking garage. In fact, at least 60,000 people are injured and about 500 people die annually in parking lot crashes. Many of these accidents involve distracted motorists. The National Safety Council says that a focus on avoiding distractions in these areas as well as technology that can prevent such crashes could help reduce those accident numbers.
Parking lot accidents often two or more motor vehicles, but they can also involve a motor vehicle and a pedestrian. The latter are very common, and get a lot of attention because the pedestrians in these cases may suffer serious injuries as a result of these accidents. According to a public opinion poll, 66 percent of motorists admit that they use their phone calls for various activities while driving in a parking lot. In addition, respondents said they would use the following programs while driving in a parking lot: GPS (63 percent), texting (56 percent), social media (52 percent), email (50 percent), or even take photos or watch videos (49 percent). The poll found teenagers slightly more likely to do personal grooming while driving, while adults were slightly more likely to talk on the phone.
Why do motorists use distracting devices in parking lots? Unfortunately, many motorists have a false sense of security while driving through a parking lot. Several things contribute, including lower speeds and less moving traffic. However, pedestrians are even more present in parking lots than they are on roadways, including child pedestrians. The risk of a crash increases during busy shopping times and during the holidays. The risks are compounded by the fact that holiday shoppers are usually in a hurry to back out or get home.
Distraction is often responsible for back-over accidents that occur when a moving car runs over a pedestrian who is behind the car that is backing out. Children are often involved in such accidents. A child who is standing or walking behind a vehicle that is backing out may not hear the car or may not realize that he needs to get out of the way of the car. The motorist who is backing the car may not notice the child until it is too late. Thankfully, most automobiles now come with back-over accident prevention technology. These systems use a camera or sensors to detect when there is a person behind the car, making it easy to spot pedestrians in time to avoid an accident.
Avoiding distractions while driving at all times, and not only when your car is speeding down a highway, is one way of avoiding such accidents. Keep your phone on mute as soon as you start your car, and never operate your car, even in a parking lot, while looking at your phone or other devices.
The Atlanta car accident lawyers at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers are dedicated to the representation of persons who have suffered injuries due to motor vehicle accidents in the metro Atlanta region and across the state of Georgia. If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a car accident caused by distracted driving, talk to a lawyer at our firm, and discuss your legal options for a claim for damages. You may qualify for compensation that includes medical expenses, lost income and other forms of damages. Talk to an attorney at our firm and discuss your case. Initial consultations are free.