Florida Injury Lawyer Blog
More than 100 car accidents were reported in the parking lots of area malls during the last 4 months of 2008, according to a recent article in The News-Press of Fort Myers.
Florida accident attorneys and personal injury lawyers urge motorists to use caution in parking lots, where accidents can happen as people pay less attention and are more lax about obeying stop signs and other traffic control devices.
In just the last 4.5 months of 2008, 129 car crashes were reported at Lee County’s five malls.
– Gulf Coast Town Center in San Carlos Park topped the list with 33 car accidents.
-Edison Mall in Fort Myers was just one behind, with 32 car accidents.
– At Bell Tower Shops in South Fort Myers, 28 car accidents were reported.
– Coconut Point Mall logged 24 crashes.
– And Miromar outlets reported a dozen car accidents.
Numerous web resources offer parking lot safety tips, including:
– Obey traffic lanes and avoid cutting diagonally across lots.
– Obey traffic signs, including stop signs, crosswalks and yield signs.
– Use turn signals and obey other traffic laws as you would on a public street.
– Be vigilant in looking for pedestrians, bicycles and other traffic before moving.
– Watch for parents pushing baby carriages and strollers or people in wheelchairs.
– Use extra caution in looking for people or traffic behind you when backing out of a space.
– Don’t race for a parking spot you think is about to be vacated.
– Obey the traffic flow patterns marked on the surface of the lot.
If you have been in a car accident in Southwest Florida, talking to a personal injury attorney can help protect your rights.
