Why Safety Is Imperative in Commercial Asphalt PavingAsphalt pavements have become extremely popular for parking lots of all sizes. Whether your parking lot serves an entire shopping center, a handful of employees, or a condominium building, safety should always be an essential consideration. People walking to and from their cars, drivers, and cyclists all expect that your lot will be a safe, orderly environment. After all, various laws state that you are obligated to ensure your invited guests’ safety, including your employees, customers, and tenants. If you are sued because someone suffers an injury or damages their car in your parking lot, a successful defense could rely on your ability to prove that you took the necessary steps to provide adequate safety features. Although the specific safety features may be different for your unique parking lot, there are several universal concepts that most commercial asphalt paving companies embrace when designing a safe parking lot. These address traffic patterns, timely repairs, traffic signs, and visible pavement markings.

How Do Traffic Patterns Affect Parking Lot Safety in Commercial Asphalt Paving?

Drivers need to know how they should navigate your lot from when they enter it until they reach their desired parking spot. If your traffic pattern is haphazard, drivers may be confused or distracted, increasing the risks for other drivers as well as pedestrians. A poor traffic pattern can also lead to congested areas that can anger drivers and drive them more aggressively. If you are not sure that your traffic pattern contributes to a safe parking lot, call a reputable paving contractor to evaluate your current design.

How Do Timely Repairs Improve Parking Lot Safety?

Potholes, drainage issues, and cracks can cause pedestrians to fall, damage vehicles, or unseat cyclists. Furthermore, whether you have an asphalt overlay or a new pavement, all of these issues can also shorten the life of your parking lot and lead to costly repairs. Experienced paving companies recommend that you have your parking lot inspected every six months so that repairs can be made before the damage worsens.

What Role Do Traffic Signs Play in Parking Lot Safety?

Your parking lot probably has multiple rows of parking stalls that are intersected by several perpendicular travel aisles. If there are no stop or yield signs, every driver may assume that they have the right of way when approaching an intersection. Other valuable traffic signs include speed limit, crosswalk, and speed bump signs. You should also have signs to designate ADA-compliant parking stalls.

How Do Visible Pavement Markings Contribute to Parking Lot Safety?

Neatly striped parking stalls tell drivers where they should park and at what angle. Parking stalls are intended to give every driver ample room to park, exit, and enter a vehicle without damaging the car in the next space. Pavement markings, including traffic arrows and words of warning, improve safety by providing or emphasizing important information so that traffic flows in an orderly fashion. Other critical pavement markings include crosswalks, no-parking zones, and ADA parking lot required access lanes.

At Marathon Solutions Group, we have the expertise to help you make your Houston asphalt parking lot a safer place. Our services include parking lot striping, sealcoating, pavement markings, asphalt paving, concrete repairs and installation, bollard installation, thermoplastic markings, and parking lot signs. Whether you need an asphalt overlay or a parking lot reconstruction, our highly experienced crews will deliver exceptional results. To request a free estimate, call 800-879-1147 or submit our online request for proposal.