While driving through parking lots common sense tells us to keep an eye out for obstacles such as other vehicles and pedestrians. This is common sense parking lot safety. While most of us don’t have any issues parking and going about our daily routine, mishaps can occur. Whether you’re driving through or parking for a period of time, there are some additional parking lot safety tips that we will be covering in this article today.
Park In Well Lit Locations
A poorly lit parking lot serves as a potential point of danger for everyone looking to get to their vehicle. These poorly lit areas provide ample cover for crimes of opportunity. For example, mugging, car theft, and even assault. That is just from a pedestrian’s standpoint.
As a driver, passing through darker areas of a parking lot serves to decrease visibility. This can often lead to unseen objects or obstacles that can prove damaging to your vehicle, such as potholes or items in the drive path.
When making use of a parking lot during nighttime hours, be sure to stay close to well-lit areas. If you must traverse an area with poor lighting, go slow and stay safe.
Use The Buddy System
Those looking to harm others typically focus on individuals who are alone. Using the buddy system – regardless of your gender – is a great form of protection not just for yourself but your buddy as well. Each of you can ensure you get to your vehicles safely. If no buddy is available, don’t hesitate to request either an escort or supervision from an on-duty security guard.
Hide Your Belongings
Objects left in plain view within vehicles – such as on the dashboard, seats, or even on the floorboards – increase the potential for an attempted break-in. Passerbys will be able to see your belongings and might be tempted if they deem your items worth the risk. Items to keep out of sight include jewelry, cash, cards, and electronics such as phones or tablets. Larger items such as clothing, coats or jackets, and even shoes may be an additional temptation.
When leaving belongings inside the vehicle, make use of your glove compartments, the areas beneath your seats, and your vehicle’s trunk space so as to keep everything out of sight.
Never Leave Your Windows Cracked
Warmer weather makes it very tempting to leave a window cracked to prevent your vehicle from becoming unbearably hot. Unfortunately, even the smallest cracks are enough to encourage thieves to make an attempt at getting into your vehicle. For this reason, it is important to check each window before exiting the vehicle and ensure all are fully rolled up and closed.
Avoid Any Cracks Or Potholes
While driving through a parking lot cracks and potholes can easily be overlooked. Be sure to keep an eye out for these as you turn down an aisle to ensure you have plenty of time to react. Larger cracks or potholes cause a variety of damages to vehicles. For example, additional wear on tires, potential tire punctures, and altering alignment.
To avoid legal action being taken against them, property owners should ensure each parking lot is free of any damage to the pavement and ensure all repairs are performed by professional pavement contractors to avoid any mishaps.
Property Owner Tips
Parking lot owners are generally responsible for parking lot safety. To ensure your parking lot remains a safe area for all guests, be sure to follow these tips:
- Keep your lot well lit with ample lighting to ensure there are no large areas of poor lighting that may encourage wrong-doers to take advantage of your guests.
- Ensure the pavement is well maintained with routine inspections. Hire professional paving contractors to quickly repairing any parking lot damage such as cracks or potholes to prevent potential damage to vehicles and guest property.
- Consider hiring security guards and/or installing security cameras at key points across your parking lot. Security cameras will additionally assist you and your guests in not only deterring criminals and thieves but capturing any incidents on camera for the authorities to review.
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