There is nothing better than to start your morning approaching the Millard West parking lot nearly getting t-boned by the car that blows through the stop sign, then  not being able to park in one of few available parking spots because the person next to you parked way over the line. As you go to circle the rest of the parking lot in attempt to find a parking spot, you almost run over the student who runs right in the middle of the street. This scenario is sometimes typical for student drivers at Millard West.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, about 20 percent of all vehicle accidents happen in parking lots. Considering 16-19 year olds are at the highest rate of getting in car crashes, the schools parking lot can be a common accident site. This problem is specifically centered around etiquette in the parking lots.

Whether its work, home, etc, everyone is trying to get somewhere after school which is something students don’t seem to realize. Cars are headed in various directions with all of the parking lots and exits, so they are expected to weave and take their turns to get out of the parking lots. This becomes an issue because students don’t always take their turns and cut people off which leads to lots of honking and angry drivers. If people could drive patiently without rushing and respect who has the right of way, part of this problem could be resolved.

Most of these parking lot accidents happen from students being careless. It’s extremely simple to get out of the parking lots with no problems, however teen drivers can tend to be inattentive. Even though at the speed they’re at is a low danger zone, drivers, specifically students, will become distracted by their phones. This will commonly lead to accidents and rear-ending in the parking lots. Backing out of parking spaces also seems to cause problems at the school. A total of 30 percent of all accidents happen while cars are in reverse. These accidents are easily preventable if the drivers would just pay attention to their surroundings.

One of the biggest issues is where people choose to park. It’s already a struggle to find parking spots, especially in the main lot, so the most frustrating thing is when cars take up two spaces. Whether its intentionally to protect their precious car, or they’re just a bad parker, it doesn’t give them permission to take up two spaces. It’s not that difficult to take time and straighten out.

Students also think it is unnecessary to spend 30 dollars for a parking ticket so instead they park on the street. This is aggravating because it only makes one lane, so drivers have to go around the parked cars in order to get in a turning lane. This later leads to people getting stuck behind these park cars which results in a big pile up. Spending the 30 dollars to get into the parking lots is a small price compared to the chaos it creates.

Parking is not a difficult task if it’s done with common sense. The Millard West parking lots is a huge issue that can easily be solved if teen drivers used parking etiquette.