With more and more outdoor events taking place, parking, and providing well laid out and designated parking areas has never been so important.
Rather than cars driving in every direction imaginable, as well as pedestrians walking around the multitude of vehicles – safety, as well as security, becomes paramount.
The number of accidents that occur in parking lots has increased over the years and unfortunately continues to do so.
In this capacity, accidents are always a risk; however, there are specific steps you can take to minimise these.
Ways to improve pedestrian safety and parking security
Carefully consider your parking lot design – try to operate a one-way system if possible (this helps to minimise driver distraction and limits drivers speed), leaving plenty of space between bays. Ideally, if bays can be marked out, that would be of benefit, but if not, the parking area and lanes should be identified using safety barricades. The use of pedestrian safety barriers is to help to map out clear pedestrian walks around the car park, avoiding vehicle lanes or areas where traffic is oncoming.
Place appropriate signage – it’s important to display speed limit signs around parking areas, along with pedestrian crossing signs, ensuring that drivers are aware of the pedestrian’s presence. The goal is to keep everything as visible as possible, and good signage can really make a difference. Signs that can be used to jog people’s memory, such as “don’t text and drive” and “wear your seat belt,” all help. Making sure your signage is simple and consistent is key. The last thing you want to do is distract drivers further with multiple messages and jazzy, unfamiliar signs.
Place security fencing at the end of parking bays – this helps to stop drivers creating their own parking space, and then others following suit. These barriers also help to improve visibility offering fewer distractions and obstructions. They also help drivers to slow down as they become aware, they are reaching the end, improving safety across the board.
Keep pedestrian access away from vehicle access – if possible, it is always advisable to design two different entrances and exits to help keep safety and security high, and accidents low.
Opt for security fencing on construction sites – this particular type of fencing helps reduce driver distraction and helps to protect areas where equipment is stored, or where personnel will be present.
Install proper lighting – if your event is taking place after hours or if your construction site operates 24/7, appropriate lighting, and safety barricades with reflective strips are a must. Guiding people safely around areas and obstacles. One dim area can cause one big accident, and this is something we all want to avoid. You need to make sure you have good, powerful lighting across car parks at all times. We would also recommend that for indoor car parks you over light entrance ways. This is because of the contrast between daylight and covered parking affecting drivers’ eyes negatively.
Raised crosswalks – are ideal for pedestrians, so they know to stick to these areas, and they feel safe in doing so. Drivers are also aware of these raised crosswalks and slow down as they approach them. Pedestrians also shouldn’t walk in and out of vehicles but ideally down a middle or central aisle, as this is the point where pedestrians will be most visible.
Check the ground where parking will be available – is it too soft? If it rains, is there a chance vehicles may get stuck? Is the surface too uneven? All of these areas need to be taken into consideration as if not, it can have a severely detrimental effect, causing severe accidents and injuries.
Invest in the right equipment – invest in suitable parking lot barricades. Safety barricades in these instances help with visibility (due to their bright colours and reflective strips), durability (plastic pedestrian barriers are incredibly durable and suitable to withstand all types of weather conditions), and connectability (pedestrian barriers can connect to create continuous lines, making them more difficult to move unlike cones and flags). You need fencing structures to be as portable as possible, as things may change or areas may even need expanding, so lightweight, portable fencing in this sense is key.
Have trained staff on hand – helping to guide cars and pedestrians to the right places following the correct marked out areas. This can be a great help when monitoring parking security and to help when temporary parking lots have been created with no pre-defined spaces outlined.
Ultimately, effective traffic safety protocols help to reduce incidences and increase overall safety.
It’s important to consider all aspects of parking safety as if you are the organiser. This is an area that falls under your responsibility. If an accident occurs due to poor lighting on your behalf, for example, then there is potential for you to be liable.
At Site, Fencing safety is a big priority for us. That’s why we will only supply high-quality suitable fencing and safety equipment.
Whether you need temporary fencing for a particular project or event or need it more for day to day use, Site Fencing is confident we can help.
Call 01274 833396
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