View this article online: https://www.claimsjournal.com/news/national/2012/11/21/217849.htm

Avoid Parking Lot Mishaps During Holiday Frenzy

Don’t get crunched this holiday season. According to Nationwide Insurance 2012 claims data, about 13 percent of auto accidents occur in parking lots.

With so many demands on your time at this time of year, Nationwide reminds motorists to stay focused while driving and to practice defensive driving especially in parking lots where traffic is heavy and drivers are often the most distracted.

Progressive Insurance claim data also supports the notion that those full lots yield an increase in accidents that occur in parking situations. Claims range from fender benders to break-ins, and the numbers show a spike in driving mishaps on the popular shopping holiday.

Progressive Insurance claims data indicated the following:

• Parking-related claims increased 36.5 percent when compared to Fridays two weeks before and after Black Friday
• The increase in Black Friday parking claims doubled from 2010 to 2011
• Nearly 25 percent of Black Friday accident claims occurred in parking situations
• Additional Black Friday claims included:
  • Rear-ending someone or getting rear-ended, accounting for 12.57 percent of claims
  • Hitting a parked car or having your parked car struck, totaling 11.13 percent of claims
  • Backing into another car or having your car backed into, accounting for 7.68 percent of claims

“Be mindful of other drivers,” said Bill Windsor, associate vice president of Consumer Safety at Nationwide. “Crowded parking lots are fertile ground for fender benders. Don’t suspend your good judgment in the rush to shop. Please drive defensively.”With droves of deal-seeking shoppers flocking to stores the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday can lead to crowded parking lots.

“Protecting your car can be as easy as parking it a little further back in the parking lot, away from the commotion of the store,” said Maria Cashy, the claims customer service process leader at Progressive. “That extra one-hundred feet could save your car some serious damage. Of course if it’s dark outside, park wherever you feel safest, like a well-lit area.”

Source: Nationwide Insurance and Progressive Insurance