Vehicle incursion accidents happen every day all over the United States. At Blockaides, we believe in using bollards for increased safety and property protection. Let’s take a closer look at how common vehicles incursions are and how bollards can prevent these costly accidents.
What Are Vehicle Incursions?
Vehicle incursions describe car accidents that involve a vehicle crashing into a structure or roadwork site. These accidents can be intentional when individuals ram buildings to commit robberies or unintentional when distracted drivers or drivers under the influence lose control of their vehicles.
How Common Are Vehicle Incursions?
Most people realize that driving comes with risks, but many Americans are unaware of how common severe car accidents are.
In 2019, over 36,000 people died in traffic accidents in the United States. The shocking figure translates to 11 traffic deaths per 100,000 inhabitants. In addition to causing the deaths of thousands every year, road accidents cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars annually due to productivity loss, property damage, medical costs and the use of emergency services.
The Storefront Safety Council reported that vehicles in the U. S. crashed into commercial buildings 60 times a day between 2013 and 2014. In addition to causing severe property damage, these vehicle-into-building crashes were responsible for over 4,000 injuries and 500 deaths.
Cars crashing into commercial and residential properties is still a significant problem across the country. Luckily, engineers and city planners can prevent these accidents by using bollards to protect pedestrians and property.
How to Prevent Car Accidents With Bollards
Bollards are a simple and cost-effective means of preventing out-of-control cars from hitting your business or nearby pedestrians. By limiting these types of accidents, you can protect people while effectively reducing the costs that result from property damage, injuries and potential lawsuits.
You can use bollards to prevent damage from car accidents in a few key ways.
1. Guide Traffic in Parking Garages and Lots
Using high-visibility bollards to guide traffic in parking garages and lots can protect the infrastructure and the pedestrians on their way to or from their cars. Fixed bollards provide the most reliable solution, as they create a permanent perimeter. Stainless steel bollards coated in bright colors act as durable yet practical access control devices that provide clear guidance for traffic.
2. Increase Driver Awareness
Bollards along the roadside can increase driver awareness and help everyone on the road better perceive space and distance between other vehicles. A series of bollards can also make a street appear narrower than it is, encouraging drivers to slow down. This tactic is crucial in densely packed urban settings.
3. Protect Commercial Buildings and Private Property
Bollards are ideal for protecting commercial and private property from impact and theft. By installing bollards in front of an entrance or loading area, you can provide enough space for pedestrian access while preventing vehicles from getting too close to the building.
How to Choose the Right Bollard
The right bollard for your application will depend on what you want to protect and what kind of behavior you want to stop. Ask yourself some basic site questions to help determine the right solution for your needs. You can start with these details:
- How fast are vehicles moving as they approach your site or entrance?
- Are vehicles approaching your building straight-on, or are they slowing down and turning?
- How big is the average vehicle that interacts with your site?
- Are you concerned about your site’s safety, security or both?
- Will you need to remove the barrier, or can it be a permanent fixture?
- Are there wheelchair ramps or pedestrian access restrictions along the parking area or sidewalk?
The answers to these questions will give you a clearer idea of the type of bollard that best matches your specifications. At Blockaides, we stock various fixed, removable and manual bollards in steel, stainless steel, aluminum and cast iron. Whatever your requirements, we have safety bollards that can tackle any job.
Why Work With Blockaides to Purchase Bollards?
At Blockaides, we’ve worked with property owners, project managers, safety professionals and engineers to address the security requirements of hundreds of sites in the United States and abroad. We have over a decade of experience manufacturing bollards for contracts to protect property and people. What’s more, we’ve tested, designed and managed projects requiring the installation of steel bollards and barriers at commercial sites, government facilities and high-security military locations.
Blockaides can:
- Recommend a cost-effective and specially engineered solution for any commercial or public site. Our solutions also meet all necessary local or federal standards and codes.
- Address issues for loss prevention professionals who require assistance with designing, constructing and specifying bollards and barriers for their sites.
- Offer a turnkey solution for multisite operations that need to implement preventive measures quickly due to legal liability claims, underwriting requirements from insurers or changes in site conditions.
- Set up a program that offsets the installation costs of bollards and barriers using a media-supported installation model.
Effective Solutions From Blockaides
At Blockaides, we understand how damaging vehicle incursions can be. We also know that effective solutions can prevent these accidents. Our team is on hand to guide you through the selection process and ensure the project stays on track with expert assistance through installation.
Ready to experience the Blockaides difference? We’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with us today to learn more.