Want to keep children and the elderly safer in your parking lot? Consider these 7 tips to boost parking lot security and safety for kids and older adults.
Children and the elderly are at a greater risk of getting into accidents in Vancouver BC parking lots than any other group. They are more likely to get hit in a parking lot because of reversing errors, driver distractions, and the fact kids love to play and run around.
Parking lots are home to a flurry of activity in a relatively small amount of space. Add unique layouts, traffic patterns that vary by parking lot, bicyclist and pedestrian traffic, and it's easy to see why so many accidents happen in parking lots. Personal injury attorneys often refer to parking lots as “accident magnets”.
That’s why we have rounded up 7 important tips for making a parking lot safer for the elderly and children.
(1) Maintain your Parking Lots Regularly
Just like any other infrastructure, parking lots are susceptible to wear and tear. And, if not well-maintained correctly and as regularly as needed, potholes, cracks, and other signs of ageing will appear in your parking lots creating tripping hazards. The line markings will start to show wear, and become faded resulting in unmarked pedestrian crosswalks and walkways.
Not just that, but a poorly maintained parking lot will also create safety issues for children and the elderly. When they can’t see the markings, both the driver and the victim will not know when they are in the wrong. That’s a complete recipe for disaster and something that you don’t wish to happen in your parking lot.
The answer is very simple: carry out parking lot repairs promptly. Any damaged asphalt, concrete, curb or line painting should be taken care of without any delay. After all, a parking lot that’s in poor condition will make you seem like an uncaring, sloppy and unreliable owner. Why get in trouble when you can hire Manta Parking Maintenance to do all the heavy lifting for you?
(2) Lighting is Important
If you own a parking garage, you know that it can get a little dark and scary inside. That’s why you need to install the latest commercial lighting and fixtures to make sure that your lots are well-lit for optimal comfort and safety of children, the elderly and the general public.
(3) Increase Dedicated Disabled Parking Spaces
The chances are that elderly people are suffering from one or more disabilities. As such, you need to create dedicated disabled parking spaces located right in front of the building for easy access. They should be clearly marked and well-maintained too. We can assist in ensuring the parking stalls are properly sized and painted too.
(4) Create Pull-Through Parking Lots
Senior adults usually have trouble pulling out of a back-out parking lot. Adding pull-through parking lots can assist with seamless and steady traffic flow.
(5) Stay on Top of Signage
There should be signs displayed prominently in your parking lot directing the public in the right direction, and away from potentially harmful zones.
(6) Eliminate any Trip or Fall Hazard
The elderly are prone to slips and falls, especially in poorly maintained parking lots. Such fall incidents can lead to messy personal injury lawsuits. That’s the last thing you want. Prevention and regular maintenance help prevent this. Applying ice melt in cold weather and repairing cracks and pot holes in the warm weather is a good cycle to stick to.
(7) Access Aisles are Crucial Too
The space between a row of parking lots is paramount. It provides plenty of walking space for children and the elderly. They should be large enough to accommodate any size of a wheelchair or electric scooters. Manta Parking Maintenance can assist you with painting your handicap spaces.
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