Parking lots are hectic places filled with a non-stop flow of people coming and going. They can be particularly dangerous for individuals in wheelchairs or scooters because most drivers aren’t accustomed to how a wheelchair accessible van operates.
Drivers turning a corner may not expect to see a ramp or power chair in a parking spot or extending out into the lot. They also might not see someone in a wheelchair or scooter who is sitting lower to the ground than a pedestrian walking in the parking lot.
For this reason, we wanted to share a few precautionary steps with you that you can use to stay safe and avoid “close calls” in parking lots.
- Use pedestrian crosswalks. Unfortunately, you can never assume that a driver will have the courtesy to stop or slow down to let you cross a parking lot at random places in your wheelchair/scooter. For this reason, crossing at a pedestrian crosswalk, if there is one a reasonable distance from where you have parked, is the ideal solution to try to alleviate this danger.
- Park smart. Obviously, parking as close as possible to the entrance of where you are going is the best solution because it creates the shortest distance to travel and minimizes time spent in the parking lot. However, if there aren’t any accessible parking spots available, parking away from other vehicles should give you the space you need to avoid the hectic shuffle of a busy parking lot.
- Consider safety accessories. You may want to consider purchasing safety accessories (i.e., flags, lights, and reflectors) for your power wheelchair, scooter, and/or wheelchair accessible vehicle. At VCI Mobility, we can provide you with a complimentary sticker to affix on the side window of your wheelchair accessible van. The sticker states that the vehicle needs extra space for a ramp to deploy.
- Be a Good Samaritan! If you suspect accessible parking or placard abuse, contact your local DMV or police department. Be sure to have the placard number, the license plate number, and the specific location/address where you believe that the offense took place.
If you follow these few small pointers, we hope that your time spent in parking lots will be as safe as possible! Please feel free to comment on this article below and share your thoughts on wheelchair accessible van parking lot safety with other VCI Mobility customers! Also, please feel free to share this article with your friends and family to spread awareness to those unfamiliar with accessible vehicles about the importance of taking precaution in parking lots.