Parking Lot Safety

Ways to keep yourself, your family and those around you safe this winter.

The winter months are met with many hazards across the country as we navigate through colder temperatures and snow or ice. A sunny day following a snowfall can melt snow during the day, which turns to ice overnight. When this happens, parking lots, driveways, sidewalks and roads can become dangerous.

While we can’t avoid the weather, we can take precautions to keep ourselves safe:

• Take extra time to get where you’re going.
• Take caution while walking in areas affected by winter weather.
• Park closer to entrances, if possible.
• Maintain parking lots, driveways and sidewalks with proper snow removal and salting.
• In case of a breakdown or if you become stranded, be prepared (in any weather) with this list of items to keep in your car.
  

The National Safety Council recognizes the hazards associated with parking lots and offers this advice to drivers to minimize risk to injury all year long, no matter your climate:

• Sound your horn when backing up.
• Do not rely on your mirrors when driving in tight areas – there are too many blind spots.
• Take time to watch for pedestrians.
• Avoid cutting through empty parking spaces and lanes.
• Obey all pavement directional arrows and crosswalk markings.
• Drive no faster than 5 to 10 mph in parking lots.
  
  

Keep yourself, your family and those around you safe this winter!

Safety First. Always. And, it starts with me.