If you drive, then you probably know that it is possible that you can have an accident at any time. You might get in an accident at the end of your driveway or on your way to work. You can get in a wreck while on the highway or on a local road.
Improper driver behavior can cause a car wreck anywhere, but in this article, we’ll look at two specific places: roadways and parking lot crashes. If you’ve ever wondered which kind causes more damage, we will discuss that in detail right now.
What Causes Roadway Crashes?
First, let’s talk about what normally cause roadway crashes. In this instance, we’ll use the term “roadway” when talking about both local roads and highways.
If you drive drunk, that can cause an accident on a highway or a local road. If you ingest other intoxicating drugs, that can do it as well.
If you let your smartphone distract you, that can cause an accident. You might also let your vehicle’s navigation system distract you. Maybe you look at a funny billboard for a moment too long and strike a vehicle’s bumper in front of you if the other driver hit the brakes suddenly.
Bad weather can cause an accident. If you can’t see very well because you’re trying to drive in the pouring rain or in a snowstorm, that might do it.
You might also cause an accident if you didn’t get much sleep the night before. Nodding off while behind the wheel may cause you to veer out of your lane suddenly.
Now, let’s look at what causes parking lot crashes.
What Causes Parking Lot Crashes?
If you get in an accident in a parking lot, then maybe it’s because you put the car in reverse and backed up too fast. If you don’t back up slowly and cautiously in a parking lot, you might hit another vehicle that’s crossing behind you.
You might also think that you have the car in reverse, but you accidently put it in drive. That might cause you to drive forward instead of backward. You can run your car into a vehicle parked in front of you, or you might hit a curb instead.
You might also let someone or something distract you while you’re trying to drive in a parking lot. If you do, then maybe it’s your smartphone. Perhaps you’re trying to send a text and driving at the same time. Maybe you’re having a heated conversation with someone and that distracts you.
You might also cause an accident in a parking lot if you’re in a tight space, and you’re trying to maneuver the vehicle without very much room to turn it around. You may hit a parked car that way, especially if you are an inexperienced driver or you don’t drive in reverse very well.
Which one of these situations usually causes more damage, though?
Usually, Roadway Crashes Cause More Damage
You can look at a term like “more damage” in one of two ways. Maybe you mean more vehicular damage. Perhaps you mean the extent of injuries instead.
Either way, it’s probably safe to say that you’ll usually do more damage if you’re driving on a roadway versus in a parking lot. That’s usually because on a roadway, you’re going at a higher rate of speed.
If you think about this for a moment, it makes perfect sense. Imagine that you’re driving on the highway. Maybe you’re going 55 or 60 miles per hour.
If you lose control of the vehicle and hit another car or a metal barrier, you can easily total the vehicle. You might also suffer some serious injuries. The higher rate of speed means you’re in a more dangerous situation than if you’re in a parking lot trying to back up.
In a parking lot, you’re probably never going more than five or 10 miles per hour, tops. If you’re backing up, you’re probably easing out of the space. If you hit someone or something, then ideally, you won’t do very much damage.
Some Exceptions Do Exist
Even if we can say conclusively that you will usually cause more damage on a road than in a parking lot, though, that does not mean it’s true 100% of the time. Exceptions always exist.
For example, maybe you’re engaged in conversation with someone in your passenger’s seat in the parking lot. Perhaps it’s your boyfriend or girlfriend, and you’re having an argument. You put the car in reverse and floor it because you feel angry or frustrated.
You might run down someone who is walking behind you at that moment and who you never even saw. You might injure them badly or even kill them if you hit the gas with the car in reverse.
You would hope you will never make that kind of a critical mistake, but it can happen. Just because you are in a parking lot, and you’re not driving as fast as you normally would on a road or highway, that doesn’t mean you should forget that you’re operating a multiple-ton vehicle.
You need to remember while driving that you can seriously injure someone or cause thousands of dollars in damage in an instant. It’s why you can never let anything distract you when you start the engine and put the vehicle in gear.
If you’re ever careless, that single instant can change your life, and not for the better. You can’t let down your guard just because you’re in a parking lot.
If you’re one of those people who has a hard time maneuvering your car out of tight spaces, you can get some traffic cones and practice in an empty parking lot. You might also think about trying to get a smaller vehicle that doesn’t take up as much space.
Since even a low-speed collision can hurt you or those around you, staying vigilant becomes imperative as a driver.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.