Store Parking Lots Can Be Chaotic [AUDIO]

'Tis the season for holiday shopping, as well as bargains and bargain hunters. With that, motorists are being warned to use caution in busy parking lots and garages.

"Careless and inattentive driving in these tight areas could result in additional holiday expenses, including fender-benders, personal injuries and a general Grinch-like attitude," AAA Mid-Atlantic said in a statement.

With an increasing number of stores opening their doors Thanksgiving night, eager shoppers have even more time to jam the lots and try to grab those convenient parking spaces before anyone else can.

Not everyone is aware of the proper etiquette, though. Just because one driver follows a shopper from the store to the car, and puts their blinker on, that doesn't stop another driver from swooping in and grabbing the parking space.

"We need motorists to be very vigilant when they are looking for spaces in parking lots," said Tracy Noble, AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesperson. "We also need to be very mindful that we have distracted pedestrians."

Noble said shoppers can avoid the mayhem by "playing the outfield." Outlying areas normally have more open spaces, lighter traffic and a lower risk of collision. Parking near a side door or secondary entrance can also relieve some congestion.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, parking lot collisions account for about 20 percent of all vehicle collisions that result in damage claims.