Parking Lot Safety at Work

When designing a parking lot, there are a lot of safety factors that have to be considered in addition to layout, spacing and entry/exit routes. Safety for pedestrians and drivers are paramount, as well as safety to any parking lot structures, and prevention of vehicle damage. We offer many products targeted specifically to enhance parking lot design with safety in mind so that your business or organization can enjoy safe parking for employees, visitors and patrons:

Install Parking Stops to Reduce Structure Damage and Keep Lots Organized

Parking stops have two primary functions depending on where they are being used. With open lots, they serve to outline distinct traffic routes by preventing cars from creating shortcuts by driving through open spaces. Within lots that have medians, walls or in-ground mounted signage, parking stops prevent parking vehicles from driving too far into the spot, which could otherwise result in damage to their vehicle, the parking structure, or nearby signage.

Speed Reducers like Bumps, Humps and Tables Prevent Lead-Foot Drivers

Speed bumps will force drivers to reduce their speed or risk a rough jolt. They are roughly 2” to 3” high and about 12’ long, they take speeds down to about 2mph to 5mph and are great for parking lots with lots of blind spots, such as stacked parking garages or curvy apartment complex parking lots.

Speed humps and speed tables reduce speeds down to 10mph to 20 mph, which is still too fast for a tight parking lot. Consider using them on main roadways within wide, open lots, as well as any peripheral roads where drivers need to reduce speed before entering the parking lot.

Use Bollards and Barriers to Highlight Unique Lot Hazards

If your facility sees a lot of unfamiliar traffic, either from customers or vendors, it’s important to make sure that any of your specifically unique areas are clearly marked to avoid injury or property damage. One way to do so is to use high-visibility bollards and barriers to mark electrical boxes, pedestrian walkways, crossings, no-park areas and similar hazards that new drivers might not know to slow down for or avoid.

Directional Signage Keeps Parking Lots Organized to Reduce Driving Confusion

Directional signage is a must-have for parking garages or any parking structure where space is a premium and turns come up suddenly. Oftentimes, it does double duty as wall protection in addition to providing clear traffic direction. With signage made of rubber or a similar material, the force of an impact from a vehicle hitting a wall, or even a car door whacking it will be absorbed and diffused to lessen damage to both vehicle and wall.

Additional Parking Lot Safety Tips

When navigating any unfamiliar parking lot, there are three crucial things that every driver or pedestrian should be aware of:

Go slow

Follow posted parking lot speed limits, and be aware of the state’s laws regarding maximum parking lot speeds if applicable.

Be predictable

Follow directional traffic and never cut across a parking lot. You might put yourself in a blind spot for other drivers who are not expecting a vehicle. Use your turn signals just like you normally would while driving to provide others with plenty of reaction time.

Be vigilant

Constantly scan for pedestrians as you drive through any parking lot, as well as vehicles that might be about to back up. Regardless of how safely you drive, there will always be others who might not be paying the same attention.