How Wheel Stops Protect Your Vehicle

Although parking cars seems a minor task, it can significantly affect vehicles’ safety and good traffic flow within a particular area. However, there are instances when there are parking-related accidents, especially when two or more cars collide. This is where the use of wheel stops comes into play. They can be helpful traffic management devices used to create a safe distance between vehicles. When used properly, they can safeguard your car, reducing the risk of any vehicular accident.

If you’re unfamiliar with this device, continue reading this article to learn how wheel stops can protect your vehicle.

What Are Wheel Stops?

Wheel stops are barriers or blocks connected to the ground in parking spaces to ensure the wheels don’t move beyond them. They’re usually made from materials such as concrete, metal, plastic, rubber and recycled materials which are eco-friendly and durable.

Moreover, using these stops and blocks can be beneficial in the following areas:

• Residential Areas: These places need proper parking perimeters to ensure homeowners have enough space to park their vehicles safely. Also, the wheel stops for residential areas should be durable to ensure they can endure natural elements like snow and rain.
• Industrial Areas: As traffic is usually high in industrial areas, these should use wheel stops for car protection and better traffic management.
• Commercial Parking Lots: Like industrial areas, commercial parking lots have heavy traffic and volume of pedestrians. Hence, wheel stops are needed to avoid accidents.

Ways Wheel Stops Protect Your Vehicle

Now, it’s time to become familiar with how these blocks can safeguard your vehicle against accidents and other road hazards. Below are some ways wheel stops can protect your car:

• Help Manage Traffic Flow And Parking Allocation

Heavy traffic flow can be common in crowded parking lots. When it’s not properly managed, car collisions are more likely to happen, causing damage to properties, including the vehicles involved.

To avoid these situations, installing wheel stops may be an excellent idea. They can help manage traffic flow and parking allocation among various vehicles. They provide a clear space demarcation, allowing drivers to maximise the available space and prevent the vehicles from colliding with structures and causing other traffic flow issues.

Moreover, as they usually come in bright or reflective colours, they can make parking limits highly visible day and night, reducing the risk of parking lot fender benders or other collisions among vehicles.

• Give The Driver A Warning To Stop  

Wheel stops can also protect your vehicle by providing you with a warning to stop. This avoids collisions with structures, which can cause significant property damage. Typically, wheel stops can serve as a warning sign in the following cases:

• Minimise Storefront Collisions: In most cases, car parking spaces in commercial areas are located within the vicinity of the storefront windows. With wheel stops installed, the drivers will be warned to reduce speed, stop and park their cars properly. When this happens, collisions that cause storefront damage will be minimised.
• Ensure Proper Driveway Or Garage Parking: Driving home after work can be tiring, resulting in diminished concentration while behind the wheel. But by adding wheel stops at the end of the driveway or garage, you’ll be reminded that you need to stop and park correctly. Otherwise, low-speed collisions will more likely happen and, as a result, damage your car, garage or other structures.
• Help Cars Park Safely At Boundaries: Wheel stops should also be installed along a fence line or at a boundary edge to warn you that you’ll overpark and intrude on pedestrian walkways if you don’t stop and park correctly. With these devices as reminders, you can keep your car safe against collisions that can injure pedestrians.
• Prevent Cars From Moving On An Uneven Area 

Wheel stops can also be beneficial when driving in an uneven area. As they’re durable and highly visible, they can prevent vehicles from moving on uneven areas while parked by stopping the motion. When the cars aren’t appropriately blocked, an accident will more likely occur, causing damage to property and injuries to drivers, passengers and pedestrians.

On the other hand, when using wheel stops to prevent cars from moving on an uneven area, it’s essential to choose a better type of barrier or block for a more desirable outcome. One of the popular options is rubber. Rubber stops are hardwearing and resistant to cracking and crumbling, which makes them a perfect choice for parking spaces with uneven areas.

Final Thoughts

Car collisions may also happen in the parking areas. Because of this, devices like wheel stops are essential to protect your vehicles and prevent the risk of accidents and injuries. It’s best to keep the information mentioned above in mind. That way, you’ll know and understand why using wheel stops can make a huge difference in protecting your vehicle while parking.