Parking Traffic

[CaptainYooh]

Maybe I am losing it, but it seems to me that a lot of drivers these days totally forgot how to drive in a parking lot. Parking lot traffic most of the time falls under uncontrolled intersection rule, which says that the vehicle on the right has the right-of-way. Has anything changed since I've taken my D/L test (admittedly many moons ago)? Today I stopped a lady who gave me a mad look and asked her if she new about it? She said unequivocally that the vehicle in a driving isle (me) has to yield to a vehicle in the "parking road" (her). Her argument was: "And that's how I've been driving all my life!". Another person at work told me that he always uses a four-way stop rule when driving in a parking lot and never a right hand rule.

I actually had to deal with an insurance claim filed against one of our fleet vehicles, which was hit by a car backing out of a stall. The insurance adjuster told us that in parking accidents the fault is usually with the vehicle on the left as they should yield to the vehicle on the right, even if there is a STOP sign installed by the property owner! Exceptions are made when both vehicles back out at the same time, in which cases the fault and damages are split 50-50.

I know we have some police officers and insurance people here. Where's the truth here?

[burn_this_city]

Hate to say it but I agree with the lady. If you're coming out of an isle and there's a main trunk road, than the people on the trunk road have right of way.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Hate to say it but I agree with the lady. If you're coming out of an isle and there's a main trunk road, than the people on the trunk road have right of way.

Absolutely.

[Rathji]

I always treat vehicles on the 'road' having the right of way over the 'aisle'.

Just seems like the logical thing to me, I don't recall ever being taught about it in any courses.

[Cheerio]

aisle, and I agree with the lady as well

[REDVAN]

I just drive where I want and expect others to yield to me. Especially in parking lots...

[CaptainYooh]

Jesus, people!

The Uncontrolled Intersection

Another type of intersection that is very hazardous is an uncontrolled intersection. This type of intersection has no traffic signs and no traffic signal lights. In Alberta in 2009, there were 192 casualty collisions from failing to yield right-of-way at an uncontrolled intersection.
When you are approaching an intersection that is uncontrolled (without traffic signs or traffic lights):
Did you know?

Understanding the rules of right-of-way at an intersection is one of the most common problems AMA Fleet Safety instructors see.

• Scan for traffic approaching from your left and right.
• Use caution and yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on your right.
• If the intersection is hard to see, slow down, cover the brake pedal and be prepared to stop.

Don’t just assume the right-of-way

[getbak]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Hate to say it but I agree with the lady. If you're coming out of an isle and there's a main trunk road, than the people on the trunk road have right of way.

Isn't that the opposite of what the lady said?

[Bmuzyka]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

Jesus, people!

Umm, I am sure non of those fatalities were in parking lots

[Flabbibulin]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

Jesus, people!

You're mad at people for not knowing the rules of an uncontrolled intersection when half the idiots in this city don't even know the rules of an All way stop intersection???

[CaptainYooh]

Let's not get bogged down in the definitions of the isle and parking/trunk road. My point, they are all private parking lanes, in essence, regardless of their appearance or width; thus, the right-of-way cannot be assumed based on that. Which is why we have the uncontrolled intersection rule.

[Bigtime]

It's the gods damned wild west out there in those parking lots right now.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

I actually had to deal with an insurance claim filed against one of our fleet vehicles, which was hit by a car backing out of a stall. The insurance adjuster told us that in parking accidents the fault is usually with the vehicle on the left as they should yield to the vehicle on the right, even if there is a STOP sign installed by the property owner! Exceptions are made when both vehicles back out at the same time, in which cases the fault and damages are split 50-50.

That's not they way I understand it at all in that situation. If a person is backing out of their stall and hit someone traveling past them, the person backing out is charged 100%

Why they put the onus on the person that can see the least is beyone me though.

[Magnum PEI]

On the GDL road test they expect you to know this. Since I've had my license I don't think one person has yielded to me when I've had the ROW while turning. One of those rules almost everyone ignores, like speed limits I guess.
People look at me like I'm crazy when I yield going straight at T-intersections.

[GoinAllTheWay]

I looked into this a little more. I guess a while back, the entire parking lot was viewed as uncontrolled intersections so the rule of "person on the right has right of way applied" Recently (within the past 5 yrs) insurers have updated their fault charts. They now look at it as there is an "implied" stop sign at the end of each row of parking slots meaning if you are entering the main feeding road in the parking lot you must come to a stop and yeild to anyone going in either direction.

So long story short, she was quite right. But only recently.

[BloodFetish]

http://www.insurancehotline.com/faul...-lot-accident/

Drivers in parking lots tend to get a bit confused as to who has the right-of-way when traversing the lines of parking spots. A basic rule to follow is to consider what type of lane you are in. Parking lots have two basic types of lanes: thoroughfares and feeder lanes.
A thoroughfare is a lane that exits to a street. These tend to be wider and are the main arteries of the parking lot. Feeder lanes on the other hand are smaller lanes that end and begin at the thoroughfares. Those who are driving in a thoroughfare have the right-of-way over those coming out of feeder lanes. That means that you must stop and allow traffic in the thoroughfare to proceed before moving out of a feeder lane.

This is how I've always driven in a parking lot. Mind you that site is 'merican so perhaps their rules differ from ours?

[troutman]

It's nuts at the malls with the snow and Xmas shoppers. People are parking wherever they want, and boxing other cars in.

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by GoinAllTheWay

I looked into this a little more. I guess a while back, the entire parking lot was viewed as uncontrolled intersections so the rule of "person on the right has right of way applied" Recently (within the past 5 yrs) insurers have updated their fault charts. They now look at it as there is an "implied" stop sign at the end of each row of parking slots meaning if you are entering the main feeding road in the parking lot you must come to a stop and yeild to anyone going in either direction.

So long story short, she was quite right. But only recently.

But how can they do it against the Traffic Act? Wouldn't it be illegal? (I assume you work for an insurer.)

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by CaptainYooh

But how can they do it against the Traffic Act? Wouldn't it be illegal? (I assume you work for an insurer.)

Well clearly it's not. If it was, they would have had their pee pee slapped hard by now.

And yes, I'm in the industry. I work as a broker.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by GoinAllTheWay

I looked into this a little more. I guess a while back, the entire parking lot was viewed as uncontrolled intersections so the rule of "person on the right has right of way applied" Recently (within the past 5 yrs) insurers have updated their fault charts. They now look at it as there is an "implied" stop sign at the end of each row of parking slots meaning if you are entering the main feeding road in the parking lot you must come to a stop and yeild to anyone going in either direction.

So long story short, she was quite right. But only recently.

Part of my thinks there was a decision that took this approach.