In the US and many countries around the world, driving is considered a privilege. As a motorist, along with this privilege come the unfortunate situations of occasional collisions, many of which result in serious injuries or death.

Road construction is mandated by federal, state, and local governments, with periodic maintenance and beautification performed as well. Such maintenance techniques usually include the widening of lanes, adding additional lanes, trimming of grass and trees, fixing potholes, road striping, and even parking lot striping.

Without this routine maintenance, our roads, bridges, and parking lots would become overgrown and unusable, rendering them as hazardous pathways and potentially causing accidents and injury.

Parking Lot Maintenance

When you think of an automobile accident, many envision a collision on a busy highway, road, or other major thoroughfares. Though accidents happen on nearly every type of road, many motorists are surprised to learn that about 50,000 accidents occur in parking lots and garages annually, with about 500 of those resulting in death and nearly 60,000 of those leading to severe injuries.

A significant reason why parking lot accidents occur is due to poor maintenance of the lot. This often includes poor visibility of lines and striping that set apart parking spaces from driving lanes. If the painted stripes are barely visible, it can be difficult for a motorist to tell when he is driving in a designated parking zone or when he is driving in a thru-lane.

Regular maintenance of parking lot striping significantly mitigates the number of accidents that might occur in a parking lot. With clear and visible boundaries, motorists will know where to park without having to guess and possibly drive across or into a thru-lane, which could result in a collision with another confused motorist.

How Striping Helps

Not only does striping significantly reduce confusion and clearly designate parking areas, but it also enhances the appearance of a parking lot. Many motorists have encountered a run-down shopping center, where the parking spaces seem arbitrary at best. In places like this, cars might even be parked at several angles and in areas that aren’t actual parking spaces at all.

When the lot is properly maintained, new paint is highly visible and reflective, clearly designating parking areas from driving lanes or walking paths.

Additionally, striping services also perform maintenance and initial layouts of designated handicapped areas, crosswalks, no-parking zones, loading zones, fire lanes, oversized vehicle parking areas, and other custom striping and zoning designs.

Not only does clear striping designate specific areas for motorists to both drive and park, but they also enhance the property value by keeping it updated and maintained.

Considering Striping Services

Striping services are available in any major US city, and these businesses are often able to perform their functions in both private and commercial areas. Often, privately owned enterprises have striping services reapply paint to already existing lots, as the paint fades from weather and wear over time.

Keeping a marked lot not only makes the area look new, but it also keeps patrons safe as they can operate their vehicles around clearly marked areas. If you find that you’ve driven through an extended area with no designated areas for parking or have found a lack of striping altogether, contact the business or property owner.

You’ll want to express your concerns that the lot needs the attention of a striping service to increase safety.