Bloomberg News reports that holiday shoppers should be wary of parking lots because “backing up accounts for 25 percent of car crashes but just 1 percent of driving time, according to a statement Tuesday from California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones and the Automobile Club of Southern California.” Bloomberg points out that “distractions from passengers, phones, the radio or intense parking-spot searches contribute to high crash rates in lots.” California officials “recommend that drivers check surroundings before entering their cars, look every direction when pulling in or out of a parking space, stay off the gas pedal while backing up and watch for pedestrians moving between vehicles.” The report also points out that the death toll on US highways rose 8.1% in the first half of 2015 as figures from FHWA show the distance traveled on US roads in September was up 4.3% from a year earlier.
From the news release of the American Association for Justice.
