Every car out on the road today will eventually need somewhere to park, whether these vehicles come to a stop at work, at home or somewhere in between. The demand for parking spaces grows every year as households invest in multiple vehicles, and as private land becomes more expensive for drivers to get hold of. This means that parking spaces are now prized pieces of real estate, as a commodity that will always be well sought after.

Due to the high level of demand and attention placed on car parks, it is vital that your site is properly protected. Security issues such as abandoned vehicles, vandalism and unpaid tickets can undermine the efficiency of your site, costing you money over time. As such, it is important that you invest in appropriate security measures to protect your car park and keep everything running smoothly.

Read on to find out more about car park security methods and the various benefits they can bring to your site.

Why Car Park Security Is So Important

As with any private property, you should have efficient and up to date methods in place to protect your car park. If you own your own parking site, then you are liable for any damages caused to this piece of land, meaning vandalism, theft or vehicle misuse could become an expensive problem over time.

Having an unprotected car park can also encourage crime rates to spike, deterring paying customers and worsening your working relationship with local residents. Most of all, if you want to attract drivers to your site, then you need to be able to demonstrate that it is safe and secure, especially if vehicles are to be parked for long periods or overnight.

Beyond this, if an incident does occur then you will need to be able to demonstrate to the authorities and to your insurance provider that you have taken reasonable precautions to protect your land. Leaving gates unlocked or having an entirely unmonitored site could affect your ability to claim compensation.

Car Park Security Methods

Fortunately there are numerous ways you can protect your site and safeguard your income, where modern security measures make it easier to manage your car park. Some of the best security options include:

CCTV Surveillance

Investing in CCTV is the perfect way to protect your car park, where a series of cameras can be installed at key entrance points and to cover blind spots. This can either be monitored round the clock by your team or you can simply review the footage if you experience a problem. Visible CCTV also acts as a deterrent against opportunistic crime, where the mere presence of these cameras can help to tackle issues in your car park.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)

Utilising automatic number plate recognition technology can also help to protect your car park. These systems work by using a digital number plate reader to identify vehicles as they arrive at and leave the car park. This information is then cross referenced with the system database to check that the driver has paid for the length of their stay. ANPR can be used to run a ticketless car park system and to make sure that all ticket prices are accurate. This will help to prevent vehicle overstays and car park misuse whilst deterring those who aren’t willing to pay.

Car Park Wardens

Digital technologies can be very effective at deterring criminals and protecting your site, but sometimes a human presence is required. Employing a car park warden from a private company can help to ensure that tickets are being paid and that any conflicts are handled in a professional manner. A warden can also regularly patrol your site to provide round the clock updates on how the car park is being used. Studies show that the presence of a uniformed, authoritative person can prevent antisocial behaviour and deter criminals, helping to protect your site.

Signage

Something as simple as correct and clear signage can help to prevent car park misuse and ensure that you’re receiving a steady stream of income. Often incorrect ticket payments and overstays are caused by a lack of awareness of how the car park is run, where this kind of issue can be managed by installing simple, obvious signs explaining what drivers need to do. Signage can also warn drivers about the presence of CCTV or an ANPR system, which can act as an additional deterrent.

Pay & Display Machines

Although they’re not designed to be a security measure, a pay and display machine can actually help to prevent car park misuse, especially when this is paired with informative signage. If your ticketing system is visible, well maintained and straightforward, then this can help to ensure that your site is being used properly. These machines also indicate to passers by that your car park is in use and is well looked after by a respectable owner, all of which can act as a deterrent to those with ill intentions.

Reporting Vehicles

If you’re running a large private car park then it is important to have a strategy in place to deal with cars that have overstayed their welcome. You may find that a driver has left their car overnight without a ticket, or that a vehicle is abandoned on your site. In these situations, it may be necessary to report the vehicle so it can be clamped or towed. This ensures that there is adequate space for paying customers to park.

Line Maintenance

The efficacy of your car park depends on your white lines being entirely visible and well maintained. Like having a pay and display machine, this is not a security measure in itself, but it will help to promote proper site usage and safe parking conditions. A well maintained private car park is also less likely to experience vandalism and antisocial behaviour, all of which can impact your revenue stream.

The Benefits Of Improved Security

Once you have implemented these security measures you will then be able to enjoy a range of benefits as a result, some of which include:

Improved Reputation – When your car park is safe, secure and properly monitored it will garner a good reputation in the local area. This will help to attract new business, where you can reinvest this money into building even better infrastructure for your customers.

Reduced Expense – If your car park becomes a hotspot for crime then you may be fined for potential damage caused to customer vehicles on your site, which can be costly for your business. You can avoid situations like this with the help of effective security measures.

Consistent Income – Keeping your car park secure means that you can maintain a steady source of income from reputable customers. If you have to close all or part of your site due to security problems then this can interfere with your cash flow and deter repeat business over time.

Safer Conditions – Once your site is properly secured with a reliable ticket system, this can help to make your car park safer for every driver. Overstays, poorly parked vehicles and antisocial behaviour all create an unsafe parking environment that can endanger customers and deter genuine business.

Park Direct UK: Dependable Security Strategies To Protect Your Site

At Park Direct UK, we’re committed to keeping your site safe, usable and well maintained for genuine paying customers. We offer a variety of security measures to allow you to protect your property, where we can provide you with an ANPR parking management system and a reliable car park warden service.

In addition to this, we can also maintain your line markings and help you to set up a paid ticketing service so that you can start generating money from your land. What’s more, our expert team can advise on parking permit management to allow you to establish the best system for your site, where we’re well informed on current ticketing legislation and compliance guidance.

Simpy get in touch with us today to find out more about how to safeguard your car park.