The most dangerous place to be during Christmas shopping season... could be the parking lot

The Parking Lot. At times more a field of battle
as opposed to a place to park your car.

It may be the season of Glad tidings to you ... but there possibly is another refrain heard in the final weeks of the frantic Shopping season, with only the word You included from the original version ...

ICBC is warning of the dangers of the parking lot this holiday season, providing some startling statistics that show that the number of parking related  incidents rises in December, with the Noon to 3PM period the most likely to be involved in a crash.

The holiday season is particularly dangerous as drivers become pre-occupied with their holiday shopping. Last year there were about 150,000 crashes involving parked cars or crashes that occurred in parking lots last year, resulting in 5,400 injuries. The majority of those parking incidents occurring in December usually on a Friday or Saturday.

Towards a bit more civility in the parking lot and hope for a bit of patience from those behind the wheel, ICBC has come up with a helpful list of Smart Driving tips to keep in mind as you head to the mall or grocery store today.

Among some of the reminders: The Rules of the Road still apply, even on Private Property, Park Further away from the doors if you can,  Park with your car facing out to allow for better visibility, Pay attention to direction arrows and stop signs, Don't Block Traffic and when it comes to the Parking Spot Standoff ... maybe just let it go and move on to another spot.

The list and some further notes on the tips can be reviewed below (click to enlarge)

More background on the holiday mayhem can be reviewed here.

As well as taking care while navigating the parking lot, it is also a place that ca make for a tempting target for thieves, looking to do their own shopping without the need to go through a cashier.

As we noted earlier this month, towards protecting your purchases and valuables, the RCMP across the Northwest remind you to keep your items in the trunk of your car and to make sure that the car is locked when you walk away from it.

For notes on the work of Emergency service personnel around the Northwest see our archive page here.