Why Parking Lots Are More Dangerous Than Drivers Think

By Yosi Yahoudai Founder and Managing Partner

August 14, 2026

Car Accidents

Drivers relax their guard the moment they turn into a parking lot. However, federal crash data show that instinct can become a problem. Low speed limits change how parking lot crashes happen far more than they prevent them.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s most recent tally of “non-traffic” crashes, a category that covers driveways, private roads, parking lots and vehicles left running in enclosed spaces, found that 3,990 people died and 64,838 were injured nationwide in a single year. A separate industry estimate puts parking lot deaths above 500 annually, and insurers report that claims spike every year around Black Friday and stay elevated through the holiday shopping season, according to the National Safety Council.

The Main Causes of Parking Lot Accidents and Injuries

Distraction is the biggest reason drivers hit people and other cars while creeping through a lot at 5 or 10 mph. In an NSC survey of more than 3,400 drivers, 66% admitted to making phone calls while driving through parking lots, 63% said they program GPS systems, and more than half said they text or check social media. Teen drivers were more likely to groom themselves behind the wheel than adults, while adults were slightly more likely to be on the phone.

Thick roof pillars, tall SUVs and rows of parked cars block sightlines in every direction, and backup cameras do not eliminate the risk. The NSC found that roughly 9% of pedestrian deaths in parking lots involve a vehicle backing up, and a separate analysis by the nonprofit Kids and Car Safety estimated that at least 50 children are backed over nationwide every week, most often in driveways and parking lots. Camera lenses fog or get obscured by dirt, and sensors frequently miss small children, shopping carts and motorcycles.

Parking Lot Distractions and Impatience

Drivers circling for a space in a crowded lot often ignore right-of-way norms, cut through empty spots instead of using the drive aisle, or fail to notice a pedestrian stepping out from between two parked SUVs. Painted lane lines and stop signs in a shopping center lot are not always enforceable the way they are on a public street, which can complicate who is found at fault after a crash. 

California follows a pure comparative negligence rule, so an injured driver or pedestrian can still recover damages even if a portion of the fault is assigned to them, with the payout reduced by their share of responsibility rather than barred outright. Poor lighting, faded striping, potholes and missing signage add further risk, particularly for pedestrians and for falls, which remain a leading cause of injury to older shoppers.

Property owners and operators in California owe visitors a duty to keep the premises reasonably safe under Civil Code Section 1714, which covers hazards like poor lighting, cracked pavement and obstructed sightlines that a business could have fixed. Many California cities have adopted ordinances under Vehicle Code Section 21107.8 that extend the basic speed law and reckless driving statutes to privately owned lots held open to the public, so a driver who was speeding or driving recklessly through a lot can be found negligent per se under Evidence Code Section 669. Claims for injuries suffered in a parking lot crash are generally subject to the two-year statute of limitations set out in Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1, so evidence like surveillance footage and skid marks needs to be preserved quickly before a lot’s camera system overwrites itself.

Hurt in a Parking Lot Crash? J&Y Law Can Help

Parking lot crashes are often harder to fight than ordinary roadway collisions because insurers argue low speeds mean minor injuries, and because surveillance footage disappears fast. J&Y Law investigates these cases the way we investigate any serious crash. We pull camera footage before it disappears and identify the property owner responsible for lighting and pavement conditions. Then we build a negligence case an adjuster can’t easily dismiss.

If you or a family member was hurt by a careless driver, a poorly maintained lot or a car that backed into you outside a store, you owe nothing unless we win. Consultations are free, and our fee comes out of the recovery, not your pocket. Call J&Y Law to find out what your claim may be worth.