Parking Lot Chaos

The holiday season is where there is "Peace on Earth", and "Joy to the World"...right? Not so much in parking lots. The local  malls and shopping plazas will soon be overrun with shoppers looking for the perfect gift. Which means more parking lot accidents. So with Santa watching, we "Better Not Pout" as we "Jingle All the Way" to file a claim.  

But does it have to be that way? With a few precautions you can save yourself frustration and heartache and keep the holiday season "Merry and Bright."

1. Take it slow and proceed with caution
   Driving slow and using extra caution when turning or backing up are ways to stay safe.
   
2. Correctly set your side mirrors
   Move the side mirrors out or consider adding blind spot mirrors to your side mirrors.
   
3. Embrace technology (but don't rely on it)
   Many cars now come equipped with a standard backup camera, and a lot of vehicles now come with motion detection, cross traffic alerts and parking assist systems. These should be viewed as an aid though, and not relied upon for navigating parking lot traffic.
   
4. Avoid parking too close to other cars in the parking lot.
   
5. Keep an eye out for stray carts.
   Gusty winds can send shopping carts zooming...right into your car.