12 Best Types of Parking Protections That Redefine Safety Standards
Certain parking protections should be in place for a more secure and safe usage of a parking area. This article will cover some of the best parking protections that have helped secure and save countless parking structures for vehicles and motorists. Read on & check out these parking protections that redefine safety standards!
1. Bollards
Bollards, often overlooked, play a crucial role in redefining safety standards when it comes to parking protection. These sturdy and versatile structures are designed to provide a physical barrier between vehicles and pedestrians or vulnerable areas, ensuring enhanced safety and security.
Bollards are vertical posts or pillars, usually colored black and yellow, made from durable materials such as steel or concrete. They are strategically placed in parking lots, sidewalks, and other designated areas to prevent unauthorized access or protect against accidental collisions.
They’re a visible deterrent, signaling drivers to exercise caution and adhere to designated parking spaces.
At the same time, they protect pedestrians from vehicles while they’re on sidewalks. By creating a physical barrier between footpaths and roads for cars, these structures ensure that pedestrians can walk wherever they want without fear of getting hit by any motorized vehicle.
2. Parking ramps
One parking protection tool that has been beneficial, especially for urban settings, is parking ramps.
When you have multi-level parking structures, parking ramps help provide a safe and convenient solution for vehicle parking for all levels. These structures consist of multiple levels or ramps where vehicles can be parked, offering access to these parking spaces without using too much space to reach these higher levels. It’s an efficient use of space.
Parking ramps provide higher security and vehicle protection, unlike traditional open-air parking lots. They offer enclosed spaces that shield cars from external elements such as harsh weather conditions, vandalism, theft, and other potential risks.
Parking ramps have safety measures in place for ease of use but also to protect pedestrians and drivers. These structures often come with surveillance cameras, well-lit areas, and access control systems, ensuring a secure environment for vehicles and their owners.
Moreover, the design of parking ramps prioritizes pedestrian safety by providing designated walkways and marked pathways.
3. Road blockers
Another type of parking protection would be road blockers or in-ground road blockers. Road blockers are often used for hostile vehicle mitigation to protect high-security facilities such as airports, government buildings, or corporate headquarters. With their robust construction and reliable operation, these barriers prevent vehicle-based threats by impeding access to sensitive areas.
They are typically installed in-ground; you can raise or lower them as needed, blocking or allowing access to designated areas. This flexibility enables efficient traffic management and ensures that only authorized vehicles can enter or exit specific zones.
By implementing these advanced systems, parking areas can adhere to industry regulations and guidelines, enhancing overall user safety. Road blockers act as a deterrent against unauthorized entry, reducing the risk of accidents, thefts, or other security breaches.
4. Access control
Access control systems are vital if you want more control over who comes in and out of your parking spaces. Access control ensures that only authorized individuals have entry and exit privileges. It can restrict entry to designated parking areas, ensuring only authorized personnel or vehicles can enter.
This enhanced level of security can prevent theft, vandalism, and other criminal activities that pose a threat to vehicle owners.
Moreover, access control systems contribute to improved traffic flow within parking facilities. By efficiently managing entry and exit points, these systems help alleviate congestion and reduce the chances of accidents or collisions.
Furthermore, access control allows for better monitoring and tracking capabilities. With advanced technology, such as RFID tags or biometric authentication methods, it becomes easier to identify vehicles or individuals accessing the premises. This ability enhances security and aids in investigating any incidents within the protected area.
5. Parking chain barrier
Parking chain barriers are an excellent choice to secure specific parking spaces for VIPs. It’s great for when you want to show a difference between particular parking spaces from one another. Think of some open-air parking spaces like those in schools, malls, banks, etc.
With parking chain barriers, you can ensure that employees, important deliveries, and VIPs always have their parking space available for them to use.
6. Wheel stops
Wheel stops, also known as car park stoppers, ensure drivers have a guide on where to position their cars when they park. At the same time, it stops vehicles from going over the line of where they should be parking so that they don’t end up damaging their cars and others in the same parking area.
These tools are easy to install, are pretty durable, and should be visible.
7. Clearance bars
For indoor parking garages, having clearance bars is an excellent way of letting motorists know whether their cars could fit in it or not before they damage their vehicles. The height limit should indicate the lowest ceiling height and not just the entrance height of the parking garage.
8. License plate recognition system
A high-tech form of parking protection is license plate reading (LPR) technology, which is excellent if you have specific vehicles that allow access to your parking spaces.
When you have a license plate recognition system like the ones from ParqEx, you can automate parking access, especially if you’re managing a commercial parking garage that only allows specific people to access the parking spaces. For example, you can use this tech in a condominium or an office building.
9. Automatic gate barrier
Another security measure would be automated gate barriers, which are predominantly in certain spots, like if you have an underground parking garage. It’s best for places where planned entry is required, and it will deter some unauthorized vehicles from trying to get into the premises by force.
Often, automatic gate barriers are installed in malls where one can register a key or phone to enter the parking space with these items quickly.
10. AI Monitoring System
It’s no surprise that AI falls under the category of “parking protections that redefine safety standards!” An AI monitoring system is a tool that can make it easier for your security team to monitor your parking garage. It should help you observe suspicious activities, identify people, and even detect what could be unauthorized vehicles that have gotten into your parking garage.
11. RFID smart parking systems
RFID smart parking systems are an excellent choice for places like office buildings or condominiums to ensure that only the people who should be in the parking garage are the ones who can access them. It’s fast and easy, so it’s convenient for you and the people using your parking area.
12. Speed bumps and humps
Although many people might not like them, speed bumps and humps are there to force people to slow down essentially.
A lot of speedsters still manage to go above the parking area speed limit somehow, and having speed bumps and humps where appropriate can help avoid that so that pedestrians heading to their vehicles feel safe walking around your parking area.
These parking protections help motorists get to the parking space, help motorists park better, make pedestrians safe, and also keep your parking area secure in some way. Thus, if you’re managing a parking space, consider adding these protections to ensure your parking area is safe and secure for everyone.
Guest Blog Author: Andi Croft