Lost in the Screen: A Quiet Risk in Car Parks

It happened again. For what feels like the millionth time, I nearly hit someone in a car park.

A woman was walking directly toward my car, her head completely down, eyes fixed on her phone. I had already come to a stop, fortunately. She did not. She walked straight into the front of the car, made brief contact, stepped around it, and continued on her way without looking up.

There was no pause. No acknowledgment. And no apology.

The incident left me unsettled, not because of damage or confrontation, but because of how easily it could have gone wrong. This was not a rare moment or an isolated lapse. I have seen similar situations repeatedly. People walking through car parks, driveways, and shared spaces entirely absorbed by their screens, disconnected from what is happening around them.

Car parks are not footpaths. They are active spaces where vehicles are reversing, turning, and navigating tight areas with limited visibility. Drivers are expected to be cautious, and most are. But drivers are human. They cannot anticipate someone walking directly into the path of a moving vehicle without looking up.

What makes this more troubling is the imbalance in responsibility. If an accident occurs, the driver is almost always assumed to be at fault, even when moving slowly and carefully. Pedestrian distraction is rarely part of the conversation.

That raises an uncomfortable question. Should awareness not be shared?

Using a phone while walking may feel harmless. In a car park, it is not. A moment of distraction can quickly become dangerous, not only for the person looking down, but for everyone involved.

This is not about blame. It is about attention. Looking up, even briefly, can make a difference. No message, notification, or update is important enough to risk injury.

Sometimes, safety begins with something very simple. Lifting your head. Taking in your surroundings. And remembering that shared spaces require shared awareness.