Pedestrians technically have the right to share the road with motor vehicles. They typically need to walk facing into traffic and to follow all posted signs and traffic lights, but they can walk on sidewalks or the road where no sidewalk is present. In theory, pedestrians can protect themselves from crashes by staying off of busy streets, making themselves visible and crossing at marked locations. But, streets with heavy traffic aren’t the only places where pedestrian collisions occur.
In recent years, there has been a concerning increase in the number of pedestrian crashes reported in parking lots. Drivers generally know that there are people coming out of businesses to their vehicles in parking lots. They should, therefore, be on high alert watching for people on foot. Yet, this is not always the case. As such, an alarming increase in parking lot pedestrian crashes in recent years has occurred.
Increased driver distraction
Drivers may know that they should look for pedestrians in parking lots, but they may feel more strongly about looking down at their devices. According to federal research, more people openly admit to texting or using social media while driving in parking lots as opposed to when they drive on public streets. Unfortunately, even at low speeds in parking lots, vehicles can cause substantial injury to the pedestrians they strike.
Larger vehicle sizes
Another factor that contributes to the increased risk to pedestrians in parking lots is the trend toward larger vehicles. Bigger vehicles have bigger blind spots that make it hard to spot pedestrians in the front or rear of the vehicle, especially if the pedestrian is relatively short. Bigger vehicles also give drivers a false sense of confidence, and they may become less proactive about checking their surroundings for risk factors including pedestrians. Bigger vehicles are also heavier and can therefore potentially cause worse injuries when they strike pedestrians.
Regardless of where a collision occurs, pedestrians hit by motor vehicles often need help paying for their medical care and covering the wages they may have lost because of their injuries. Both insurance claims and lawsuits may be necessary after serious pedestrian collisions. People who recognize that a driver was clearly at fault for an incident may become less hesitant about seeking compensation after a crash.
