One day, we wake up on our special day and we’re sixteen years old with a permit ready to become a licensed driver.  For the first half of our lives, all we want to do is get behind the wheel and take off. However, we never really think about all the other new drivers on the road, at school, and especially in school parking lots. How does a wreck or collision even occur in a parking lot to begin with? Surprisingly, a lot of people will do the good old “hit and run”, leaving the other person a lovely surprise to walk out and see. What is the best thing to do in this situation at school? 

On average, 50,000 accidents occur in parking lots (and garages) everyday. The most common accidents occur by two drivers backing into one another, drivers pulling out of their parking spot in front of another driver, two drivers pulling into the same parking spot, and when one driver is pulling in or out of the parking spot and hits the car on the side or behind them. Parking lot safety is important because anything and anyone can be hit when a driver isn’t fully attentive to the road in front of them. 

When a driver hits another vehicle in a school parking lot, the driver should notify the school about the situation, and find the other driver to notify them about the collision if the vehicle was unattended. Parents should be called if there is a minor involved, insurance should be traded and notified, an accident report should be written, and the driver that hit the other car will probably get a ticket. Any driver can be safe in parking lots by staying off of electronic devices, looking both ways always, if it’s dark; finding a well-lit area, parking the vehicle straight inside the lines, and picking a spot that is most comfortable for you as a driver to be able to park in.

Remember, never to “hit and run” because karma will come back and nobody wants a surprise bill for the inconvenience of your driving.