People often focus on highways and busy city streets when they think about accident avoidance. Too many drivers underestimate the risk of accidents and tickets in parking lots – particularly during the holiday season.
Nothing ruins holiday cheer like getting an expensive ticket or dealing with the insurance company and vehicle repair. Attentiveness, patience and planning can help you avoid unpleasant outcomes from parking and parking lot mishaps.
Where You Can’t Park in Texas
Disabled Parking Spots
It’s not news to anyone that you shouldn’t be parking in handicapped parking spots if you are not disabled or have limited mobility. Disabled parking placards are issued by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and must be hung on the rearview mirror when the vehicle is parked in an accessible parking spot.
Even if you or someone you’re with qualifies as disabled, you cannot legally park in a designated accessible parking space without a placard or plate.
The fines can be steep, with tickets costing up to $1,250 and infractions potentially resulting in up to 50 hours of community service.
Illegal Parking Zones
Drivers in Houston are required to abide by no-parking zones. Some of these rules are obvious, like not blocking fire hydrants or parking on sidewalks, in crosswalks or in intersections. Others, including many no-parking zones in parking lots, can be harder to identify.
If there’s not a clearly visible “no parking” sign and the curb or pavement markings have been worn off, you might not realize that prime spot you found is a designated no-parking zone.
You can challenge these tickets if you feel like the zone was poorly marked. Take photos of the area, particularly worn signage or the absence of a clear sign and note the time and exact location where you received the ticket. Submit the information to the issuing authority to appeal.
Is There a Time Limit for Emergency Lanes?
No – there’s no grace period for brief stops if you are blocking fire lanes, loading zones or entrances and exits. Enforcement is strict, especially if parking in the zone poses a serious safety risk.
Parking Lot Hit-and-Runs
There’s no legal difference between a hit-and-run on the street or in a Houston parking lot.
Although you should document the accident before moving the vehicles, that can be difficult in a crowded parking lot. Do your best to take pictures of the vehicle positions and damage prior to getting out of the way of other drivers.
If you strike a parked car in a lot and the owner isn’t there, you should make a reasonable effort to find the owner. If you can’t find them, leave a written note in a conspicuous place on the vehicle, like under the wiper blades. This note should include your name, address, contact information and an explanation of the collision.
Although less serious than leaving the scene of an injury accident, leaving the scene of an accident involving vehicle damage that costs more than $200 to fix is a Class B misdemeanor and can lead to fines or even possible jail time.
If you’re in this situation, do not leave your insurance policy details or driver’s license number on the note. Both should be considered sensitive information that could expose you to identity theft if some passerby grabs the note. Just stick to the basic contact info and accident description.
Avoiding Injury Accidents in Parking Lots This Holiday Season
Backing up collisions are the most serious risk in parking lots. The danger is particularly high during the holidays when parking lots are busy, and drivers are in a hurry.
It’s best to assume pedestrians are not paying attention and to give them extra space to cross behind your vehicle safely. Although backup cameras are very useful, the field of view, particularly for objects or people low to the ground, might not be perfect.
Parking strategically can help. Avoiding tight spots and parking farther from crowded areas can greatly reduce the likelihood of accidents. Be sure to balance those measures with safety, especially at night.
If a crash does occur, you are required to provide aid to the person who was injured. Thoroughly document the scene and get the contact information of witnesses before you leave.
There are scenarios where the person struck by a car backing out of a spot could be found liable for the crash. Driving recklessly, attempting to dart past a car actively backing out of a spot, not paying attention or jaywalking are all examples of actions that might make the person who was struck liable for their own accident and injuries.
The best strategy to avoid parking lot accidents is to be patient and attentive. Driving defensively is good all year long, but it can be especially important during the holidays when you don’t want the headache of insurance claims and vehicle repair.
Fighting for Houstonians Injured in All Types of Auto Accidents
If you or a loved one were injured in a parking lot accident in Houston, don’t hesitate to call the Weycer Law Firm at (713) 668-4545.