Nearly 4,000 people died in parking lot and other 'non-traffic' crashes in 2021

Although transportation professionals and advocates tend to focus on the high number of roadway deaths that occur on U.S. streets and highways every year, a significant number of deaths and serious injuries also occur in what the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calls "non-traffic" or "non-roadway" locations, such as parking lots and driveways. 

As Kiran Menon explains in Jalopnik, data on parking lot deaths is hard to come by because, unlike roadway deaths, there is no government mandate to count them. The last time the NHTSA addressed the issue, a 2024 report noted that an estimated 3,990 people died and 64,838 were injured in non-traffic car crashes in 2021 alone.

Menon notes that the primary culprit for these crashes is distraction, but that modern car designs also have thicker pillars — meaning larger blind spots — for the protection of passengers. "Although all-around parking sensors, cameras, and crash-avoidance systems are available to mitigate blind spot issues to some extent, the false sense of security that often comes with driving slowly through a parking lot can still lead to incidents, even when those failsafes are in place." 

Drivers in parking lots are also less likely to obey right-of-way rules and exercise less caution around pedestrians. "Improperly maintained lots with unclear signs, pavement markings, and insufficient lighting can also lead to mishaps."