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| Two drivers use their cell phones after a minor car accident in a parking lot. |
I saw a fender bender in a parking lot yesterday. The kind that happens thousands of times a day all over the world: Two drivers backing out, looking at the sides to make sure there were no pedestrians in the way. And crunch.
In this case, the women pulled out their cell phones. They looked like modern gunslingers and as I was leaving the shopping center a police car was heading their way. Many don't know this, but when you have a minor accident with no injuries in a parking lot, both drivers are considered equally at fault. At least, this is true in my home state of Pennsylvania.
One day this won't happen because cars will have safety features to prevent it. Sensors in the back and front will hit the brakes. Many new cars have this feature already, of course, and cameras in the back give good views of dangers. (Everyone around my age, sixty-one, loves those cameras because it relieves their stiffening necks of motions best done by owls.)
Usually the phoneslingers of today engage in a flurry of photographing their vehicles and that of the other owner’s to pass along to their insurance agents, if needed. Years ago I was hit from behind backing my behemoth Suburban out of a Home Depot parking spot in Sarasota, FL in December (height of tourist season) by an older woman, also backing out. Both my parents were in the car to witness what happened. The odd thing was literally almost on impact a horn honked, which seemed odd at first...as though the impact had suddenly caused the other driver’s horn to sound, and I stopped. The damage was minimal, if any, to my car, and I don’t recall how bad hers was. She told me angrily that she had honked her horn, but to no avail. Apparently she honked just at impact because she believed I would then be culpable since she, “in an abundance of caution,” had warned me (despite it literally being on impact). What I learned when I described the incident to my agent, was that because she honked, she saw what was happening, and should have taken preventative measures. Basically insurers would consider her at fault (at that time) because she was aware of what was happening. Since that time, whenever possible, I back into my parking spot, or pull into the spot ahead, in order to be able to exit the parking spot in a forward direction. Smart phones are an asset in an accident. Taking numerous photos can be very helpful at the scene, and taking a shot of the other car’s license plate is useful. You can immediately upload them to your agent, notifying them instantly, as well as call law enforcement. Being a 21st century phoneslinger does have its advantages.
ReplyDeleteMy first reaction when I do something like drop a valuable item or blank on an important appointment is to deny that it happened. That impulse goes away after a few seconds. Sounds like that wasn't the case with the person who rammed you! She may honestly believe that she honked when she said she did. Facts, to some, are fungible.
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