Parking Lot Safety 101
2 min read
Originally published on Parking Industry Insights
As a parking facility manager, your number one priority is reducing safety risks on your property. Mitigating potential liabilities from taking place on your property is important for both the well-being of your visitors and your organization.
Below is a list of safety measures you should consider implementing throughout your parking facility:
Signage: Installing appropriate safety and wayfinding signage throughout your parking facility will guide customers to their destination and around your facility safely. Examples of safety signage include crosswalk markings, stop signs, one-way lane signs and pedestrian traffic signs.
Lighting: Bright lighting in a parking lot can make a world of a difference when it comes to making your customers feel safe. Having sufficient lighting in a parking facility also highly reduces the risk of criminal activities from taking place. LED lighting can help reduce electricity costs, while at the same time making your property safer.
Facility maintenance: Ensuring your parking facility is well-maintained all year round not only protects your asset it gives customers a sense of well-being. For example, keeping your walkways free of ice and snow, or your asphalt and curbs crack-free are great ways to reduce incidents. You should also keep your walkway and parking space lines very visible with seasonal maintenance.
Surveillance: This is one of the most common safety features found in a parking lot—and for good reason. Connecting your parking facility to a live central monitoring station greatly reduces the risk of criminal activity from occurring on your property, and, if needed, is helpful for incident response and investigations.
Emergency assistance stations: Installing emergency assistance stations is also an effective way to make your customers feel safe, while also deterring criminal activity from taking place on your property.
Parking equipment: Part of the responsibility of running a paid parking facility means ensuring your parking equipment is regularly maintained so it’s safe for your customers.
On-site staff: While on-site staff can be invaluable for providing customer service, they also provide a visual cue showing your customers that someone is keeping an eye on the facility.
As a property manager it’s your responsibility to make sure your parking facility is safe at all times. As a result, it’s a smart idea to speak to your parking management provider about conducting regular safety audits of your parking lots to ensure aspects such as lighting, signage, traffic control, and parking equipment maintenance are frequently inspected and well-maintained.
Taking these precautions will protect your organization from unplanned costs and liabilities. It can also entice customers to regularly return to and park at your facility because they feel safe doing so.
References
Tucci, M. (2021, May 10). Parking lot safety 101. Parking Industry. Retrieved November 3, 2021, from https://www.parkingindustry.ca/construction-maintenance/parking-lot-safety-101?rq=signage.
Tse, H. (2021, May 10). Smart Solutions for parking wayfinding. Parking Industry. Retrieved October 13, 2021, from https://www.parkingindustry.ca/parking-management/smart-solutions-for-parking-wayfinding?rq=signage.
Client Relations Manager, Precise ParkLink