Do Parking Curbs Protect Against Vehicle Intrusion?

Today's crash of a small car into a St. Louis, Mo. area restaurant should raise a big question for storefront business owners: "Do I want to trust the safety of my customers and employees to a parking curb?"

Source: KMOV.com

The car in today's story rolled right over the parking curb in front of this business and burst through the glass storefront. A News 4 viewer posted three on-scene photos to KMOV.com: http://bit.ly/cunOZ0.

These photos show the classic parking arrangement for a small strip shopping center. Cars pull straight in toward the building. A parking curb is all that stands between each vehicle and the store in front of it.

This news account provides no details about what might have led the young driver's Kia Soul to suddenly go forward. (The station might update the report as it learns more.) But does the cause really matter in this instance?

The big take-away for businesses—and customers—in shopping centers like this one is pretty simple: Open your eyes to the danger facing you.

Most drivers manage to stop properly when pulling in to park. But when they don't—pray you're not in the way.