Driveway and Parking Lot Safety

Every day, parents and children use busy parking lots and driveways for school drop-offs, errands, and other daily routines. These spaces may seem harmless, but they can be especially dangerous for children. With a few simple steps, we can prevent most injuries in parking lots and driveways. Just like on the road, it’s important for both parents and kids to stay alert and follow key safety tips for practicing caution in driveways and parking lots.

Driveway Safety

• Before driving, take a few seconds to walk all the way around your parked car to check for children.
• Make sure to remove all objects—especially those that may attract a child, like bikes or toys—from around your vehicle before driving.
• Designate an adult to supervise and find a safe, visible spot for children to wait when vehicles are moving nearby.
• Always accompany young children when they get in and out of a vehicle and hold their hand until reaching a safe area.
• If children are playing in the driveway, block it off near the street with trashcans or cones to prevent cars from coming in.

Parking Lot Safety

• Never allow children to play in parking lots, especially when vehicles are present.
• Always supervise children in parking areas. Stay alert: put away phones, earbuds, or headphones, and watch for moving vehicles.
• Never allow toddlers to walk in parking lots– carry them or use a stroller or shopping cart. Load kids into the car before bags or other items to prevent kids from wandering off.
• Hold hands with older children when moving through parking lots.

Driver Technology Tips

• Consider installing backup cameras to increase visibility behind your vehicle.
• Be aware that many forward collision avoidance systems may not detect small children.
• Look for vehicles equipped with pedestrian automatic emergency braking (PAEB) technology for added safety.

Being proactive and alert can help keep your family safer in driveways and parking lots and can help make sure that your kids know how to be safe around vehicles, both in and out of the neighborhood.