Naughty drivers cautioned to take extra care as collisions in parking lots peak in December

The Insurance Corp. of B.C. is reminding shoppers to be careful and patient when parking at their local mall this holiday season, citing data showing that mall parking-lot crashes peak in December.

According to ICBC, a total of 150,000 crashes took place in mall parking lots last year, resulting in 5,400 injuries. Most crashes occur in December which is, of course, when local malls see some of their busiest days.

The peak time for crashes is generally between noon to 3 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Each parking lot had an average of 200 crashes in 2017.

Metrotown, for example, saw 740 crashes last year, while Tsawwassen Mills recorded 67.

A few reminders from ICBC this holiday season:

Rules of the road still apply in mall parking lots, even if they’re private property. That means drivers should avoid cutting diagonally through a lot and stick to travelling in appropriate lanes. Text messages, GPS navigation and music should be sent or set up before drivers start moving.

The safest way to park a car in a parking lot is to back into your spot.

Park farther away and walk to the mall if you can instead of circling around. Continuing to drive around while searching for a closer parking spot puts you at higher risk of getting into a crash.

Slow down, be alert and pay attention to arrows and stop signs. Be cautious of pedestrians and children darting between cars and be aware of lane directions in smaller parking lots.

Don’t block traffic by staking out a parking spot or trying to argue with another driver.