The Lot Deserves More Respect
Parking lots may involve low speeds, but that doesn’t make them harmless. Unfortunately, a lot of drivers forget that they’re dealing with pedestrians, reversing vehicles, shopping carts, tight corners, and people suddenly popping up from between parked cars, all within seconds. A little patience can prevent a devastating mistake, and that’s why we’re here to go through a few scenarios that reveal whether or not you’re actually an experienced driver.
1. Cutting Across Empty Spaces
An empty section can tempt you to drive across several rows instead of following the marked lanes, but that’s a rookie mistake. Another driver may be barreling down an aisle and never expect you to show up from between the spaces. Stick to the driving lanes even when the lot looks deserted.
2. Following Someone For Their Spot
Spotting someone walking toward a parked car can turn even the most reasonable drivers into hunters. Next thing you know, there’s one impatient motorist crawling a few feet behind them. That not only makes the pedestrian uncomfortable, but it can also leave you blocking every vehicle trying to pass.
3. Flying Around Blind Corners
One of the biggest mistakes people make in packed lots is assuming they can just dart around without looking. Well, we have some news: parking lots and garages are packed with corners, concrete pillars, or landscaping. Entering one too quickly leaves almost no time to react if another vehicle or pedestrian suddenly appears.
4. Trusting Your Backup Camera
A backup camera is useful, but it shouldn't replace your mirrors. Let’s not forget that camera lenses can be dirty, objects can sit outside their field of view, and some systems don’t even reliably detect every obstacle. Do yourself a favor and check around the vehicle with your own eyes.
5. Ignoring Directional Arrows
Those faded arrows painted on parking-lot pavement aren't suggestions—they’re rules. Going the wrong way down an angled parking aisle can put your vehicle nose-to-nose with someone who legitimately expects traffic to approach from the opposite direction. That’s why only good drivers follow the marked flow instead of creating their own shortcut.
6. Texting
It doesn’t matter if your car’s crawling through the lot; absolutely no texting allowed! You're still operating around pedestrians and other cars that may reverse into your path without warning. Distracted driving in parking lots is one of the quickest ways to a fender bender, so save the phone for when you've actually parked.
7. Pulling Through Without Checking
Driving through an empty spot into the next row can save you from backing out later, but don't assume the coast is clear. A pedestrian, shopping cart, or vehicle entering that space may be hidden by the cars beside you. Next thing you know, you have an uncomfortable conversation ahead.
8. Racing Another Driver to a Spot
Look, we know holiday shopping is a nightmare, but neither of you will get anywhere zipping to the same spot. Suddenly speeding up or cutting across an aisle over one parking spot increases the chance of a collision, and all for very little reward.
9. Creeping Through a Crosswalk
Drivers sometimes stop for pedestrians but continue inching forward while those people are still walking. We know it sounds harmless, but it really isn’t. That movement can make someone wonder whether you've actually seen them, especially kids or elderly people. Stop completely and give the crosswalk back to pedestrians!
10. Reversing Immediately
Starting the engine and instantly reversing doesn't leave much opportunity to notice what changed while you were idling. It literally only takes a second for someone to walk behind you or another vehicle to start backing from the opposite row. Check mirrors and blind spots before moving.
11. Parking Beside a Car That Obviously Needs Room
A van with a wheelchair ramp. A car with a child seat. A work truck with wide equipment. Whatever the case, some vehicles need more space, and you parking directly beside them only creates problems. When plenty of other spaces are available, choosing one of them is the easier option.
12. Driving Too Fast
For some reason, some drivers see parking lots as an opportunity to test the speed limit—it isn't. Keep your speed low enough that an unexpected shopping cart or reversing sedan doesn't become an emergency stop.
13. Assuming Parked Cars Will Stay Parked
You could be the best driver in the world, but that doesn’t mean everyone else is. An idling vehicle doesn’t necessarily signal awareness, especially if you can see illuminated brake lights or a driver inside. Walking or driving closely behind it without considering a potential reverse puts you directly into one of its hardest areas to see.
14. Leaving Your Shopping Cart Wherever
Abandoning a cart isn't just irritating for whoever collects it later. It’s a pain for everyone else in the lot, too! Wind or a sloped lot can send it rolling into somebody's door, while carts left in driving aisles create another obstacle for motorists to avoid. It doesn’t take much to bring it back to cart collection.
15. Swinging Your Door Open Without Looking
You finally park, switch off the engine, and fling open the door. After all, the driving’s finished, right? Well, a car may still be pulling into the neighboring space, or a cyclist could be passing at that exact moment. That’s why you need to check your mirror before opening the door, especially when the spaces are narrow.
16. Blocking the Fire Lane
It doesn’t matter if you’ll “only be a minute”; waiting directly outside an entrance obstructs more than ordinary traffic. Fire lanes and marked emergency-access areas need to remain available, regardless of how convenient that curb is. Use an authorized pickup area or a regular parking space instead.
17. Assuming Pedestrians See You
You may clearly see the shopper walking ahead of you, but that doesn't mean they've noticed you. Everything from hoods, bags, children, and other parked cars can all divide someone's attention in a crowded lot. Not to mention, some pedestrians just don’t care and assume you’ll look out for their safety.
18. Parking Where Snow Hides the Markings
Winter can turn a perfectly organized lot into a bunch of educated guesses. Snow covers lines and curbs all the time, so before stopping, look at your surroundings so you don't accidentally cause a pile-up. Snow and ice also introduce additional visibility and traction hazards, making slower movement even more important.
19. Leaving Valuables in Plain Sight
We hate to say it, but leaving valuables around makes you a prime target for sticky fingers. It’s up to you to remain diligent! Lock the vehicle and keep any expensive bags out of sight, ideally in the trunk.
20. Forgetting That You're Still Driving
Many bad parking-lot decisions happen because drivers mentally relax once they’re off the main road. But as we’ve established, traffic laws, pedestrians, blind spots, right-of-way decisions, and basic courtesy haven't disappeared. You’re still behind a moving vehicle, and it’s important to remember that.
