When you own a business, you have a responsibility to your employees and your customers to ensure your property is safe, and this all starts at the first place people encounter your business property, which is in the parking lot. Because the parking area is beyond the doors of the business, it is easy to disregard how important it is to also keep that area as safe as possible. To make sure you are doing just that, it is a good idea to get a bit more familiar with how accidents actually occur in this extended part of your property. Take a look at some of the most common parking lot accidents that occur on business property and what you should be doing to avoid them. 

Accidents Relative to Auto Crashes 

Even though automobile accidents are usually thought of as something that happens on roadways, they can happen quite easily in parking areas because there are so many vehicles held in one area–often times in a congested fashion. There are a lot of things that you can do to prevent automobile accidents in your parking area, but there are four primary steps you need to take, including:

1. Installing parking barrier systems in congested parking areas.
2. Ensuring there is appropriate signage in the parking area to keep drivers informed.
3. Keeping the pavement markings freshly painted and easily visible.
4. Making sure areas of low visibility or kept well lit with outdoor light systems.

Accidents Relative to Pedestrians

Pedestrians who are making their way from their vehicles to your business building and vice versa need to have clear walking areas that are separate from traveling vehicles whenever possible. In areas where the two could come into contact, it is crucial to have the appropriate signage and crosswalk markings in place on the pavement. It is also a good idea to install barriers between sidewalks and pathways that vehicles travel. 

Accidents Relative to Slips, Trips, and Falls

Slips, trips, and falls are a fairly common parking lot accident and can be caused by things like low visibility due to poor lighting, damaged pavement, trash, rain, snow, or ice. There are big reasons why keeping your parking area clean is an important business owner responsibility. When someone slips, trips, or falls in your parking lot, you could easily be held liable if it was because the parking area was not clean or not well maintained. For more information about protecting your property, contact a business such as Eastco; Mfg Corp.