The importance of car park security
Although crucial for protecting a premises, alongside ensuring the safety of both vehicles and pedestrians entering or exiting, car park security is often wrongly overlooked. In some cases, a lack of security could lead to unauthorised parking, vandalism, vehicle theft, and a multitude of other risks - causing not just financial loss, but significant emotional distress. By recognising the importance of car park security, as well as implementing preventative measures to optimise both the efficiency and safety of your site - be it small or large - yours and your customers' concerns will be put to rest.
Why is car park security important?
Prevent car theft
Making sure that your car park is secure is vital for preventing car theft.This is an issue which appears to be increasing, after data revealed that there were 108,542 motor vehicle thefts in England and Wales during 2021/22. Ensuring that your site’s car park is equipped with CCTV cameras and access control systems - such as number plate recognition and gate intercom - are all significant crime deterrents. By investing in a variety of protective methods, it will be much harder for a crook to get away with stealing a vehicle.
Protection against vandalism
Vandalism is also a serious problem that should not only be controlled for the sake of your customers, but to protect your building’s structure. Failing to provide sufficient security will tarnish your reputation if a customer’s vehicle is vandalised, or if the building itself is damaged, this could rack up a hefty bill. Instead, ensure that you have plenty of security cameras, or you could also rely on security personnel to keep watch from a CC security kiosk.
Reduce vehicle accidents
By optimising your carpark’s security, you’re more likely to reduce the risk of vehicle collisions - which can be done by installing a car park barrier to encourage safe traffic flow. Want to find out more information on how car park barriers work, and how they can enhance your car park’s security? Head over to our previous blog post to learn more.
As well as this, CCTV systems will collect any evidence in the rare instance that a crash should occur to ensure that the victim is tended to immediately.
The collection of video footage is also vital for disproving fraudulent claims, alongside capturing hit and runs. Although rare, there’s always a possibility.
Limit vehicle speed
Speed bumps, complete with appropriate signage, will urge vehicles to slow down. This will lessen the chance of vehicle collisions, and pedestrians will be able to travel around the site safely.
Pedestrian safety
Just as you should be protecting any vehicles that pass through your car park, you should also ensure the wellbeing of pedestrians. Security bollards are particularly useful for sectioning off pedestrian only zones, preventing any vehicles from entering these areas. Likewise, it also stops pedestrians from entering traffic heavy zones - keeping them safe.
There are various security bollard designs, each of which carries a unique set of benefits. So, whether you’re looking to enhance your car park’s security or otherwise, our complete guide on the different types of bollard and their uses will make your decision that much easier.
Here at Expert Security, we understand just how important car park security is. That’s why we have designed a range of security enhancing products that aim to reduce the risk of crime, whilst protecting vehicles and pedestrians alike. See what you might be missing by taking a look at our full car park security checklist, and be sure to contact our team of professionals to improve your site’s protection.