Why Use Bollards?

What is a bollard?

The quick, simple definition of a bollard is a vertical post that’s short and sturdy, but that’s not very helpful, is it? A better description of a bollard is a secure post or barrier that surrounds areas like parking lots and storefronts, and they offer additional security to the property and patrons.

The primary purpose of a bollard is to keep you, your customers, and your building safe.

The very first bollards were used around 200 years ago to help moor ships and boats. There would be two bollards, one on the ship and one on the land, that would get connected by a rope to secure the vessel. These early bollards were typically made from old cannons with the barrel end stuck in the ground.

As vehicle technology developed in the early 1900s, we began seeing the more modern bollards we use today to provide safety and traffic control.

Related: Technology to Prevent Crashes

Types of bollards

There are many applications where bollards are used every day, but let’s look at the most common ones you’ll find:

Safety bollards

Safety bollards help protect against storefront crashes that are lower impact, which happens quite often. Crashes like these hold you and your business accountable for any damage and injuries; that’s why safety bollards are a necessity for store owners. Security Bollards from BBRSS help protect against these accidents to keep you and your business safe.

Pedestrian guides

Pedestrian guides have two purposes:

1. They are a decorative guide that shows pedestrians which lanes it is safe to walk in.
2. They also help keep traffic from accidentally driving into a pedestrian area.

Pedestrian guides are used to give pedestrians peace of mind while they walk and protect them from unnecessary accidents.

Security bollards

Security bollards are used to help stores prevent “smash and grab” burglaries, which is when a vehicle drives through a window to gain entry and get away with the shop’s items. Security bollards prevent vehicle access to storefronts, and in extreme cases, they protect high-security areas against terrorist attacks. 

Security bollards might not be as visually pleasing as other types, but they are the most robust and most efficient way to protect your storefront.

Do you want to provide the most protection for your business? Check out BBRSS’ security bollard solutions!

Why do we need bollards?

Bollards have many different uses, but security and traffic control are the two main issues they aim to solve.

They heighten driver awareness

Street bollards are the perfect height; they are easily visible to drivers but don’t obstruct their sightline. Installing bollards along road boundaries helps drivers perceive space and distance more accurately and effectively prevent accidents.

When installed in series, bollards create an illusion of speed, which encourages drivers to slow down, especially in densely packed areas.

Traffic calming

Street bollards effectively manage road behavior, but they’re also typically used as part of a more significant traffic calming strategy. These strategies, along with utilizing bollards, encourage safe and responsible driving in busy areas or near pedestrian paths. For traffic calming, bollards usually get used in addition to things like:

• Visual indicators such as signs and traffic strips
• Physical elements, including medians and surface treatments

Building security

Security bollards are an effective option for protecting buildings from impact and theft, but they have the added bonus of avoiding clutter around a storefront. Unlikely other barriers, bollards can restrict vehicle access but still allow a clear pedestrian flow.

Whether it’s an accident or not, vehicle impacts can cause massive damage to a building and pose a risk to occupants and pedestrians. Security bollards keep your property and your customers safe.

Related: Passive Vs. Active Barriers

Why do we see more bollards in high traffic areas?

Traffic management

While the main purpose of a bollard is protection, it can also act as an informal policing mechanism. When bollards get installed along streets, they give an illusion that the street is narrower than it really is; this causes motorists to be more cautious and indirectly manages the traffic speed in the area.

Reinforce curbs

Bollards also act as a means to protect pedestrians from vehicles that drive up on a curb, whether it’s intentional or not. It’s not difficult for a car to mount a curb, and this can compromise the safety of major intersections if the problem is not fixed.

You can find bollards near the major intersections of most cities to protect pedestrians that are approaching them.

Separate walkways and parking areas

In addition to helping manage traffic, bollards can also influence how pedestrians behave. Bollards placed in a row physically separate parking areas from walkways and sidewalks while creating a visual distinction between them.

In this way, bollards help keep pedestrians away from the road and get them to walk along pathways uniformly.

Prevent unauthorized parking

When parking becomes limited during activities and events, many people get frustrated and start to park in unauthorized areas, including curbs, grass, or any other area where parking is not allowed. 

Installing bollards in places where parking is not permitted, but are in areas that people are prone to park anyway, helps prevent this problem.

Protect monuments

Bollards are typically found along pathways or guarding storefronts, but they also help protect monuments and structures in areas with high traffic. They safeguard these monuments by preventing tourists and pedestrians from getting too close to them.

Setting up a series of bollards to protect a monument helps deter climbing, touching, and disturbing of the monument.

Protect pedestrians and property

The main purpose of bollards is to offer safety and protection for businesses and pedestrians. Different bollards get used for different purposes; the speed of traffic determines the safety rating the correct bollard needs to have, but visual indicators that aren’t meant for vehicles to be around can have more decorative designs for pedestrian walkways.

Secure your property with bollards from BBRSS

Source: BBRSS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BBRSS/photos/2628979717385788

When planning to secure your property, it’s important to assess the security needs and different options that you have. Security bollards are an effective and efficient way to protect your business, its occupants, and nearby pedestrians.

Does your property need additional security measures? Security bollards from BBRSS are your best bet!

Related: Why Invest in Vehicle Barriers?