Car parks are essential to our transport system, and well-designed Car Parks allow the safe and efficient passage of people towards their destinations.

When thinking about pedestrian safety, car parks don’t immediately register as a hazard zone. But as research shows, they are high-risk, even when it comes to low-speed vehicles.

According to National Road Safety Strategy Australia, in 2020 were registered 138 pedestrian fatalities. And data collected by the Australian Government, Department of Infrastructure and Transport in 2001-10 found that 14% of pedestrians aged 0–14 years happened in non-traffic locations. Guess what these locations were? Car parks and roads in places such as schools, universities or hospitals.

Car park pedestrian safety should not be just an afterthought, but a primary consideration. Even though the naming implies the object “car,” both pedestrians and cars share zones. Therefore pedestrians shouldn’t be an afterthought in urban planning and road design, but they should be prioritised.

Thankfully there are efficient measures you can employ to reduce the hazards in a parking lot.

Here are 5 tips to improve pedestrian safety in car parks:

Engage a safety specialist

It often happens that when designing a car park, developers focus on the number of car park bays, without taking into account the design or the open spaces for pedestrians.

A safety specialist can offer design advice that goes beyond the number of vehicles and can provide guidance and tips on entrances and exits, as well as make provisions for differently-abled people. Furthermore, a safety specialist will think about things like designated lanes for vehicles of different sizes – especially important for manufacturing businesses. By doing this, they can also ensure the optimisation of space, utilising it to its maximum potential while keeping it safe and orderly.

Entering and exiting is particularly important – and hazardous – when it comes to pedestrian safety, so it should be one of the first considerations. People travelling on foot in these areas are susceptible to driving accidents because usually the entries and exits of car parks intersect with footpaths. The absence of clear signage or speed bumps could make crossing the road dangerous.

Clear signage

Car parks vary in layout, purpose, users and ownership. For pedestrians, off-street parking is generally considered safer than on-street parking. But some off-road car parks provided by private companies can lack the safety measures that protect pedestrians. Lack of proper lighting or signage are just two of the reasons accidents occur.

An efficient car park safety solution is clear signage. Having car park safety signs that highlight that this is a shared vehicle/pedestrian zone with a 10km/h maximum limit should be the norm. In addition, Give Way signs also provide extra safety. That’s because large vehicles often offer limited rear vision, so having a Give Way sign for pedestrians will minimise the risk of accidents in these instances.

They are also important for parking and safety around schools and hospitals, to alert drivers to drive carefully. Children do not have the skills and experience to be safe in traffic on their own, especially when it comes to traffic.

Clear route marking

Highlighting safe pedestrian routes in and out of the car park is another way of reducing the risks of accidents and fatalities.

A well-designed car park should clearly indicate the direction of traffic flow. Not only that, but it should also have visible Keep Clear car park markings.

Car park markings to consider, depending on the nature of your business, and the size of your car park, are:

• Disabled parking
• Shared zones
• Parent with prams
• Senior parking
• No-parking zones
• Loading zones

Using high contrast paint, installing directional tactile and having sufficient lighting are great ways to ensure pedestrians’ safety.

Messy, unseen lines can result in accidents and chaotic parking, so reconditioning worn-out line markings is essential. Your company should have a maintenance checklist to go through bi-annually or annually. In establishing how often to check the condition of your car park markings you should take into account if your car park is exposed to the elements: is it an open-air car park, underground, undercover? What are the challenges for each?

By doing this, you will not only keep everyone safe and maintain order but will help to keep everything looking good.

A well-maintained business looks like a well-managed business. So when people enter your car park – and therefore establishment, their first impression will be positive.

Not only that, but an organised car park will prevent car damage, reducing the hassles for your employees and visitors.

Install speed bumps and bollards

Bollards and speed bumps are an efficient way to slow drivers and mark out prohibited zones, both proven methods for accident mitigation. Most public car parks have them, but they aren’t as thought of when it comes to workplaces.

“When it comes to private companies, employers should constantly assess and reassess potential hazards, including those in their workplace car parks,” says Garth McAlpin, Director at Classic Architecture.

Permanent in-ground bollards or fixed surface mount bollards are designed for traffic control situations. Their primary purpose is to create a barrier between drivers and unauthorised areas. Those areas can also be pedestrian crossings.

Safety Mirrors

Improving safety for pedestrians in car parks relies on car drivers being able to see any obstruction. Safety mirrors are important for drivers to identify potential hazards – including seeing pedestrians.

Their primary purpose is assisting with visibility around blind corners, and underground car parks with multi-deck ramps and/or basements. They not only give visibility to pedestrians and approaching vehicles from other sides, but also to any obstructions.

In a manufacturing or warehouse setting, an outdoor stainless steel convex mirror is hard-wearing, high performing and can be used for forklift safety and more.

Whether it’s a private driveway or a public car park, convex mirrors fitted for indoor and outdoor use are a must for proper visibility.

Conclusion

Running a car park is a challenging task, and prioritising public and pedestrian safety should be the norm and car park safety should not be forgotten. Everyone is a pedestrian whether you’re an employer, developer, property owner or manager. And these 5 tips are a great starting point in improving pedestrian safety and ensuring that the car park runs smoothly.

By taking an efficient approach you will make a great first impression, keep everyone safe and avoid unpleasant accidents, traffic chaos and car damage.

A final word of advice? Whenever walking in and around a parking lot, follow the safe road crossing procedure: Stop, Look, Listen and Think.