Police are offering tips on what to do in cases of collisions in parking lots and how to avoid them following a rise in calls for service related to such accidents.
"We are seeing an increase in calls for service for low-speed parking lot collisions due to an apparent gap in knowledge around requirements for drivers involved in collisions," said Sgt. Eric Baskette, non-commissioned officer-in-charge of Richmond RCMP's road safety units.
Police attendance at most of these cases could have been avoided, Baskette added, explaining drivers only needed to exchange their driver's licence and vehicle insurance information as required by the Motor Vehicle Act.
What to do when you're involved in a collision
- Remain at or immediately return to the scene of the collision
- Render all reasonable assistance
- Drivers must provide the following in writing to any other driver involved in the collision, anyone sustaining injury and on the request of any witness:
- The name and address of the driver, operator or other person in charge of the vehicle
- The name and address of the registered owner of the vehicle
- The licence number of the vehicle, and
- Particulars of the motor vehicle liability insurance card or financial responsibility card
- For collisions involving an unoccupied vehicle, the driver must locate and notify in writing the person in charge of or the owner of the unattended vehicle and provide them with the same information stated above.
How to avoid collisions in parking lots
According to Richmond RCMP, B.C. sees an average of 234 parking lot crashes per day, most of which "could have easily been avoided."
Police are offering the following tips on safely navigating parking lots:
- When driving in parking lots pay extra attention, slow down and back into parking spots
- Backing into a parking spot provides a greater field of vision for you to see other vehicles and pedestrians when exiting a stall
- Remember when entering or exiting the parking lot, to watch out for pedestrians on sidewalks and cyclists in bike lanes
- Obey all posted signs. Follow the rules of the road and all traffic signs in parking lots
- Don’t rely on a back-up camera. Use your mirrors and shoulder check to confirm and monitor your surroundings.
More tips on avoiding parking lot collisions are available on ICBC's website.
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