If you run any kind of business or organization with a building, your parking lot is probably not the first thing on your mind. There are bigger fish that need frying.
Unless you run a large industrial facility though, your parking lot is probably the biggest single source of safety issues and legal liability.
It makes sense. Any time vehicles and pedestrians occupy the same open space at the same time, there’s a chance for an accident. If it happens on your property, you’re probably liable.
There are a few different things you can do to reduce liability. Smart traffic flow will minimize contact between pedestrians and vehicles in the first place. Good signage and lane markings help too. There’s one high impact method of traffic safety you may not know about: the incredible portable speed bump.
It can be permanent if you want it to be, but the convenience of removing or relocating speed bumps as needed in your lot can be huge.
This article will lay out how:
- Portable speed bumps are a high-impact way to reduce risk in your lot
- They deliver safety without the headache (or the cost)
- Flexibility matters as much as safety
- Better traffic control translates to better traffic flow
How can a speed bump be portable?
The speed bumps you’re probably used to seeing are permanent installations usually made of asphalt or concrete. They stay put. And while they do effectively calm traffic and slow down cars, they break down over time just like the asphalt or concrete in your lot will. They also can’t be moved.
Recycled rubber speed bumps can. Our RubberForm SB-10 speed bump is blessedly easy to install and just as simple to remove without large crews, heavy equipment, or lot closures. One practical use would be to install SB-10s in the spring and remove them in late fall before the snow hits so plows can clear your lot unimpeded. That’s one kind of portable.
Our MLSB line of speed bumps kicks portable up a notch. While they can also be permanently installed, they’re also made to work without any bolting, drilling, or adhesives at all. The various MLSB sections connect like puzzle pieces and effectively calm traffic laid straight on the pavement. A single worker could deploy two or three MLSB speed bumps spanning the width of a lane in your parking lot in just a couple minutes, no tools required. That means you could just deploy speed bumps for drop-off or pickup at a school, for example, and leave the lot open the rest of the time.
MLSB Simple Installation
- Pick up
- Put down
- Connect together
No, really. It’s that easy.
If cars are zooming through your parking lot faster than they should, portable speed bumps are a great solution for slowing down traffic and keeping pedestrians safe. So what are speed bumps for?
Check out these benefits of using portable speed bumps in your parking lot:
1. Reduce Speeding
The main job of portable speed bumps is right in their name: they reduce speeding. By placing these rubber speed bumps at key locations in your parking lot, you can easily get vehicles to slow down to safer speeds. The bumps create a physical cue for drivers to ease off the gas pedal.
Our RubberForm Speed bumps can lower vehicle speeds under 10, or even down to 5 miles per hour. They’re an effective traffic calming option (and if you’d like others, see this article).
2. Improve Safety
Slower driving speeds translate to improved safety for everyone using your parking lot. With portable speed bumps, vehicles have more time to see and react to people walking through the area. This prevents unfortunate accidents between cars and pedestrians. According to an NSC analysis of government data, parking lots and garage structures are where tens of thousands of accidents happen every year, leading to hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries. Speed bumps also make it safer for drivers to pull in and out of parking spots.
Posted speed limit signs only work so far in getting drivers to reduce their speed. The physical impediment of a speed bump forces them to reduce their speed or risk damage to their vehicle.
3. Easy to Install, Remove, & Relocate
Unlike permanent speed bumps, portable ones don’t require construction or altering the pavement. You can quickly set them in place without heavy equipment, large crews, or lot closures. Portable bumps are also convenient because you can easily move them to redirect traffic patterns as needed. No more being stuck with permanent speed bumps in inconvenient spots.
If you need to repaint your lot at some time in the future, portable speed bumps can be placed in new locations to accommodate the changed traffic flow. Asphalt or concrete speed bumps would require demolition and brand new installation to do the same.
4. Cost-Effective
Installing permanent speed bumps costs a hefty chunk of cash between construction and materials. Portable bumps can be picked up for much less. Plus, they last for years with proper maintenance, giving you more bang for your buck.
Our RubberForm Speed bumps (both the SB-10 and MLSB models) are made from 100% recycled rubber and plastic materials that won’t chip, crack, corrode, or crumble, no matter the heat, cold, or heavy traffic.
5. Better Traffic Control
In addition to speed reduction, portable bumps keep traffic under better control throughout your parking lot. Cars, pedestrians, and cyclists all stay in their intended lanes, instead of cutting haphazardly across the lot. This organized flow improves safety and navigability for everyone trying to get where they need to go.
And portable means that as your needs change, the traffic flow can change too. Our MLSB speed bumps are so easy to move, they can relocate for major events that fill your lot to capacity and potentially change the ideal traffic flow.
What’s the bottom line?
Why are speed bumps important? Portable speed bumps are a must-have for keeping parking lots secure. Position them smartly to control speeding hot spots, protect pedestrians, and optimize traffic flow. Drivers and visitors will thank you for the safer lot. When you’re ready to get portable speed bumps for your parking lot, reach out to RubberForm to get the conversation started.
The advantages of portable speed bumps:
- Reduce speeding
- Improve safety
- Easy to install, remove, & relocate
- Cost-effective
- Better traffic control
Date Published: May 1, 2024
