Fairfield Pedestrian Fatality Reminds Us Of The Dangers Of Parking Lots

When you’re out for a stroll in the Elm City you may be crossing over parking lots and driveways that could present a real hazard to you as vehicles are passing in and out of these locations all of the time.  Such was the case for a Colchester man who was fatally struck in a Fairfield, Connecticut parking lot in the middle of the morning.

Often when New Haven pedestrian accidents happen we can chalk them up to someone being out and about late at night or excessive speed contributing to the accident, but in this case it was the middle of the morning and the driver was pulling into a parking lot at a reasonable speed.  So, what does this accident tell us about the dangers of being in a parking lot, even during daylight?

Parking lots often present grave dangers to pedestrians for a variety of reasons, but one of the main things is that there are very few markings about where to cross and how to do so safely.  When someone is walking through the streets of a city there are often crosswalks to signal where they should cross the street and in many cases there are lights to tell them when it is safe to cross the street.  In a large parking lot, none of this exists and this can present a problem for those that are trying to safely traverse the landscape of the parking lot.

To keep yourself safe when you are crossing a parking lot you will want to do so carefully and with a great deal of attention to your surroundings.  You should never cross behind a parked vehicle or walk along a building as it may come as a surprise to drivers who are coming in and out of the parking lot that you are there and it will require them to either stop short or swerve to miss you, which could present even more problems.

Another safety concern in a parking lot or driveway is the buildings themselves.  These buildings can often be tall and can cause there to be major blind spots when people are driving into the parking lot.  If a driver is pulling into a parking lot and turning around the corner of a building a pedestrian who is walking through the parking lot may be struck because of a lack of visibility for the driver.

Also, when walking through a parking lot you will want to make sure you are not crossing over parking spots.  Of course parking spots are where cars are going to be headed when they come into a parking lot so if you are walking across them there is a greater risk of being struck.  If you are crossing a parking lot you will want to walk around the marked parking spots so you can be seen at all times.  This is especially important if there are cars in some of the parking spots, but not all of them.  If you are crossing over parking spots that are half filled it is much less likely that you will be seen by a vehicle that is looking to pull into one of the spaces and you may get struck by the driver unintentionally of course.

You may not be thinking about getting into a New Haven pedestrian accident when you are crossing over a parking lot, but these can be some of the most dangerous places you can be on foot in the city.  Drivers may not be paying as close attention as they should be and that could lead to a serious accident and in some cases a fatal accident if you are not keeping your eyes ahead and working to keep yourself safe.

If you do become injured in a parking lot you may need to speak with an attorney who can review your situation.  Contact our office and one of our experienced attorneys will speak with you and identify areas where your long-term interests may need to be protected.