Managing the flow of traffic in and out of your premises can often be a challenging task so it’s essential to implement correct traffic control methods in order to keep employees and visitors safe.
Many businesses underestimate the importance of managing the flow of traffic in and out of their premises; a congested car park is not only an inconvenience but can also prove dangerous to pedestrians.
What is a traffic management system?
A traffic management system is a set of rules, processes, and technologies that are deployed to monitor, control, and optimise the flow of traffic and pedestrians in areas such as car parks, pathways, and roads. They are implemented to reduce congestion, improve safety, and make busy motor areas more efficient.
Why does my business need traffic control systems?
There are a number of problems that can arise as a result of poor traffic control and management and implementing various traffic control systems, such as barriers, bollards and road blockers, can greatly improve the efficiency and safety of your premises.
Traffic Congestion – without sufficient traffic control systems business car parks can quickly become congested especially at the start and end of the day when a number of vehicles are trying to enter or exit the premises at the same time.
Pedestrian Safety – the lack of physical traffic control systems can often mean vehicles are driving too fast as they enter an exit a premises which can endanger pedestrians and employees in the vicinity.
Visitor Management – without effective traffic control systems in lace it can be difficult to control the visitors to your premises especially if our entrance isn’t secured with a keypad or intercom system.
How to create a cohesive traffic management strategy
Practical traffic management is essential to ensuring the safety and efficiency of pedestrians and vehicles on your premises. The implementation of a proper strategy can help reduce the risk of accidents but can also minimise congestion.
The following steps can help you maintain the safety of both vehicles and pedestrians when navigating high congestion areas on your premises.
Study the area
The first step to deploying a cohesive traffic management strategy is to study the area where it will be implemented. This means analysing the layouts of roads, understanding the traffic flow patterns, and identifying any pain points or potential bottlenecks.
Gathering this information about the area allows you to make more informed decisions about access control points, safety measures, and signage and barrier placement to help improve the intuitiveness of your desired traffic flow.
Implement barriers and access control
Barriers and access control solutions, such as rising arm barriers, play a highly important role when it comes to traffic management as these solutions are extremely effective for situations when you might have to safely divert or restrict traffic to certain areas.
Properly placed traffic barricades or cones can help create a clear path for both traffic and pedestrians ensuring they avoid areas where there is a high amount of congestion or areas of your premises where access for unauthorised personnel may be unsafe.
Establish effective lighting
Effective lighting is also an essential piece of the traffic management puzzle. Ensuring your premises is adequately lit can improve visibility of road markings, parking spaces, safety signage, and barriers reducing the risks and potential hazards for pedestrians and road users alike.
Installing high-quality LED lighting or temporary lighting solutions in areas that require better visibility in darker conditions such as intersections, crossings and areas where construction work may be taking place.
In areas where the roads or vehicle access points may be constrained, even temporary traffic lights can help reduce the risk of accidents my manage the directional flow of the traffic in the area.
Create distinct pathways
This may seem fairly obvious but separating pedestrians and motorists is crucial for ensuring safety and maintaining traffic efficiency. By giving motorists and pedestrians clearly defined spaces, the likelihood of collisions is reduced, creating a safer and more organised environment for all road users.
Roads should include clearly marked lanes, visible signage, and suitable dividers to guide motorists and reduce confusion. Where appropriate, measures such as traffic signals, speed-reducing features, and roundabouts can help regulate vehicle movement and improve overall flow.
Pedestrian areas should be equally well planned, with accessible crossings, footpaths, and walkways that are clearly marked and easy to navigate. Additional safety features, such as bollards, guardrails, or other physical barriers, can provide further protection by keeping people and vehicles apart.
Ensure spacing is well considered
Appropriate spacing is also essential for safe and efficient traffic management. Signs, signals, cones, barriers, and road markings should all be positioned clearly to guide both vehicles and pedestrians without causing congestion.
Parking bays should be well-marked, walkways should be wide and accessible, and barriers or dividers should separate vehicles from pedestrians where needed. Height Restriction Barriers can also help control access by preventing oversized vehicles from entering restricted or low-clearance areas, reducing the risk of damage, accidents, and disruption.
Additionally, it is recommended that regular inspections are carried out to ensure all markings, signage, and barriers remain visible, secure, and effective.
What traffic control systems are available?
There are a number of traffic control systems available to businesses to help them manage their traffic flow including the use of traditional signage as well as the use of a one way system.
However, physical traffic control systems, such as security barriers, are often more effective as they provide an actual physical presence.
Here at Newgate, we provide a range of access control security solutions ideal for managing the flow of traffic in and out of your premises including:
Our traffic control security systems are mainly used in car parks to help improve efficiency. However, our traffic control and management systems are suitable for a wide range of businesses across a number of different sectors.
Furthermore, the majority of our access control security solutions come with a range of optional accessories including additional signage, keypads and ANPR, all of which are designed to make controlling traffic flow simpler and easier.
For more information about our range of access control security solutions, including our barriers, bollards and road blockers, please contact the team at Newgate today on 0808 156 1561 or email websales@newgate.uk.com
