If a vehicle is in the “through lanes,” then it will generally have the right of way. Drivers approaching through lanes from any parking lanes will need to yield the right of way to drivers in the through lane. If a driver fails to yield the right of way when coming out of a parking lane into the through lane and strikes another vehicle, then the driver leaving the parking lane will likely be at fault.
Vehicles that are driving down parking lanes have the right of way over any vehicle seeking to back out of a parking place. Often, these incidents occur when one or more vehicles are moving in reverse. In most scenarios, if a driver is backing out of a parking space and strikes another vehicle in the parking lane, then the driver that was going in reverse will typically be at fault for the incident.
If two vehicles are backing out of parking places on the opposite sides of the same parking lane, then the fault will likely be more difficult to determine if they strike one another. In these scenarios, both drivers had a responsibility to ensure that it was reasonably safe for them to back out of the parking space. When one vehicle has already started to back up, any other vehicle should wait for the area behind them to clear before reversing. The vehicle that begins backing out first should have the right of way in these scenarios. Unfortunately, “simultaneous backup” parking lot crashes occur regularly, and fault can be difficult to determine.
Pedestrians will generally always have the right of way in parking lot scenarios, regardless of whether or not there are marked pedestrian crossing areas.