Car parks are one of those high-risk situations where pedestrians, vehicles and facilities are in constant proximity. Without the right safety measures in place, people can get hurt and vehicles damaged.
In fact, more than 3% of pedestrian injuries occur in car parks, where drivers are supposed to be travelling at slow speeds.
Safety starts with the right car park barrier at the perimeter and continues inside the space. It is important to let traffic flow in and out smoothly while keeping pedestrian areas separate for everyone’s safety.
Security Solutions for Car Park Safety
Car park owners, from private parking areas to the largest shopping complexes, have a responsibility to ensure public safety.
There is a range of security solutions ranging from safety barriers to behavioural nudges that will keep traffic flowing without danger to pedestrians.
Car park barriers
Car park barriers can be in the form of boom gates or wedges. The boom gate is a type of perimeter security solution that can either be ground-mounted or island mounted depending on the entry design. For high-traffic car parks like shopping centres, hotels, and public car parks, car park barriers provide low-speed vehicle mitigation as well as optional ticketing and intercom functions.
Wedges are also known as road blockers are another type of perimeter security best for controlling unauthorised wheeled vehicles within critical sites such as airports, embassies, research and development centers, military sites, and other areas that maintain sensitive data infrastructures.
Where traffic is less frequent and perimeter security is paramount – office buildings, industrial areas, apartment blocks, private driveways – you may consider having an additional layer of defense with our range of vehicle gates built for optimum security.
Operable Bollards
Parking bollards in the form of automated and retractable bollards, provide the perfect security solution for individual bays or narrow entries. The bollards can be raised when the bay is empty and lowered by the authorised person to allow vehicle access, meaning guaranteed access and security at other times.
Parking bollards can also be automated or remote-controlled depending on their function. For example, a row of impact-rated automatic bollards is an alternative solution for low-traffic car parking areas like deliveries in pedestrian zones.
Height warnings
Maximum height warnings are a deterrent for overheight vehicles, reducing the risk of accidents and ensuring your entry isn’t clogged with a stuck truck. Height warnings should be installed before a vehicle reaches the car park barrier, so they know early on whether they are going to fit.
Speed humps
We want to believe posted speed limits are usually obeyed in car parks. Therefore, a well-placed speed hump should do more than slow down errant vehicles. It will also warn drivers of an upcoming pedestrian crossing or break up long straight stretches where people can be tempted to accelerate. Making speed bumps bright and visible will help with speed issues in dim undercover car parks.
Zebra crossings
Giving pedestrians a dedicated crossing path will greatly reduce the risk of accidents. Zebra crossings should be considered in the design phase and not as an afterthought, to make sure there is enough room between vehicle bays. Dedicated walkways around parking areas are also a good idea to manage the foot traffic flow, as people will naturally walk on clearly defined pathways.
Street Furniture
In a busy open-air car park, it may also be worth considering adding perimeter security around. Aside from just securing car park access, security street furniture will limit the illegal entry of some unauthorised vehicles within the area.
Street furniture can be in the shape and combination of crash-rated planters, bike racks, and trash bins. With street furniture range, the architects have more freedom when designing public space to ensure the aesthetics are not compromised with the incorporation of essential security solutions.
Car park safety made Ezi with Ezi Security
Improving car park safety should not come at the detriment of traffic flow. That’s why Ezi Security tailors our security solution to suit your environment.
Our range of car park barriers, parking bollards, pedestrian management solutions, car park gates, and more will keep your car park safe inside and out. Get in touch to find out how we can help beef up your car park security.