Driving in parking lots
Advice is usually given for driving in the city or on the highway, whether on short or long-distance trips. However, people rarely mention driving in parking lots or car parks, especially when these are for general use, such as those in shopping centers and similar facilities.
In contrast to their usual behavior, many drivers use the fact that there is little or no surveillance to drive incorrectly and often in ways that endanger other drivers or pedestrians. We should remember, and this is very important, that these spaces attract a high density of vehicles and people, which increases the risk of accidents.
Driving in parking lots
The first thing to bear in mind is that in the absence of specific traffic regulations, the General Traffic Regulation rules apply in terms of direction of movement, priority of passage, lighting and signaling.
In other words, if the parking lot is underground, you must have low beams turned on, use the indicator when making turns, observe the arrows or other signs that regulate the direction of traffic, respect the STOP signs, and give way whenever indicated horizontally on the tarmac or vertically on signs at the sides.
Another very important issue is speed, which is always regulated between 10 and 20 km/h, depending on the type of parking lot. It is very important to adhere to this speed, since at higher speeds there is an increased risk of collision or, worse, running someone down.
Many parking lots have horizontal signage like pedestrian crossings. These must be respected both by drivers and pedestrians, in order to cross safely in areas where they are visible.
Pedestrians in parking lots
In the case of pedestrians, we start where we left off a moment ago: they should keep to the areas designated for this purpose. In addition, you should pay the same attention to your children as when you park on a street. This means being aware where the traffic is moving and making sure they stay in as safe an area as possible.
Given their small size and tendency to race around, they can suddenly appear between two cars without a vehicle driving correctly noticing their presence. Therefore the ideal is take children by the hand until they are away from the most dangerous areas and make them understand that they should not move away from your side or the side of your vehicle.