This article discusses standards relevant to wheel stops (parking blocks) and what can be done to prevent trip and fall injuries in parking lots. The premises safety experts at Robson Forensic have investigated many incidents involving these common parking lot features.
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Robson Forensic experts frequently investigate pedestrian fall incidents involving wheel stops. Wheel stops were introduced in the early ’s and are also known as curb stops or parking blocks. They are the small barriers sometimes used at the end of parking spaces to aid drivers as they park their vehicles. For decades, wheel stops have consistently been identified as pedestrian tripping hazards.
Wheel stops are made from materials including concrete, metal, wood, plastics, and recycled rubber. Typical installation methods include epoxy adhesion, mechanical pinning and gravity-weighted.
None of these installation methods are maintenance free or foolproof. Wheel stops epoxied to the parking lot can be knocked loose. When this happens, they can pull up pieces of the parking surface with them.
If the wheel stop is bolted or mechanically anchored down even minor, but repeated, impacts can damage pavement around the anchors. This type of damage can create paths for water penetration which might result in additional tripping hazards.
Snow plowing operations can also damage wheel stops while pushing them out of alignment. Existing wheel stops should be routinely inspected – at least monthly and after snow events – to look for any sign of corrosion, cracking, misalignment, and other deterioration.
Relevant safety standards and other professional publications address the topic of wheel stops. The general consensus is that use of wheel stops should be avoided whenever possible.
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Standards citing that wheel stops should be avoided state that they should not be placed in pedestrian walkways or foreseeable pedestrian paths. If the use of wheel stops cannot be avoided, there are some steps that should be taken to reduce the likelihood of trips. One idea is to paint them so they contrast against their surroundings and any other painted markings on the parking surface.
There are standards for the dimensions and placement of wheel stops within parking stalls. The goal is for the wheel stop to be covered completely by the car when the stall is occupied, eliminating hard to see tripping conditions on either side of the vehicle. Illumination of the parking area may or may not contribute to a hazard. To improve visibility along pedestrian paths the standards for lighting shall be met.
Wheel stops are often used in parking lots to prevent vehicles from rolling onto sidewalks, but neither wheel stops nor standard 6” high curbs are effective vehicle barriers. For the prevention of vehicle encroachment, standards state that bollards at least 3’-6” high may be centered at the heads of parking stalls as an alternative to wheel stops.
If you have wheel stops in a parking lot:
The Premises Safety Experts at Robson Forensic investigate cases involving the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of residential, institutional, and commercial premises. We conduct site inspections, review discovery, perform tests, and review applicable standards to learn facts and form opinions about how and why individuals were injured within the built environment.
For more information, call us at 800.813. or submit an inquiry.
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