It’s back-to-school season, which means that it’s essential to ensure that your school’s parking lot is in good condition. A well-maintained school parking lot is essential for the safety of students and to ensure a smoother traffic flow. School parking lot safety is a key component of maintaining a safe school environment, yet school parking lots are often overlooked, either because of budgetary constraints, understaffing, or simple oversight.
Asphalt maintenance is crucial to improving the safety of your school parking lot. By working with a professional who has in-depth knowledge and understanding of how to work with asphalt and sticking to a maintenance schedule, you can improve the safety of your school parking lot for students, faculty, staff, and parents alike. Here is what you need to know about some of the hazards that come with unmaintained parking lots as well as ways you can improve the safety of your school’s parking lot.
Safety Hazards Of Unmaintained School Parking Lots
School parking lots withstand heavy daily use throughout the school year, and sometimes during the summer months too. Parking lots can already be dangerous places for pedestrians and cars alike, but they’re made even moreso with the presence of potholes, cracks, faded line striping, and more.
Some of the safety hazards of unmaintained school parking lots include:
- Potholes. People can trip and fall, which is especially concerning if it is into oncoming traffic.
- Cracks. These can also cause tripping. They can also lead to asphalt deterioration.
- Crumbled pavement. This can also lead to injury and accidents.
- Unclear parking striping. This can cause chaos in the parking lot, presenting dangers to pedestrians and vehicles alike.
- Unclear traffic directions. This can lead to accidents, especially when dropping off or picking up students.
- Signs that do not meet ADA standards or fire codes. You could be held liable if your signs are not up to code or ADA compliant.
Since school parking lots see so much daily traffic, they need to be able to withstand it. If they go unmaintained, this worsens the condition of the parking lot as a whole and creates an unsafe environment for students and everyone else going in and out of the school.
Improve School Parking Lot Safety With Asphalt Maintenance
Fortunately, you can do your part to improve the safety of your school parking lot with regular asphalt maintenance. When you work with a reputable asphalt maintenance company, they will be able to not only conduct any necessary repairs, but also work with you to formulate a maintenance schedule that keeps your school parking in good condition so that it is safer for everyone.
Some of the ways that you can improve school parking lot safety with asphalt maintenance are as follows:
- Pothole repair. Potholes put pedestrians at risk and can damage cars. These are more commonly seen after the winter months, but can occur through the expansion and contraction of water, such as after rain. Potholes can be filled in to smooth out your parking lot and prevent them from worsening.
- Crack sealing and filling. Left untreated, cracks will continue to spread across your school parking lot, creating safety risks and degrading the condition of your asphalt. Having them fixed as soon as possible prevents them from turning into significant problems, in more ways than one.
- Sealcoating. Parking lots have sealcoats which work as a protective barrier to stave off damage from UV rays, water, vehicle fluids, and more. These need to be redone every 3-5 years in order to ensure that they do their job properly and that your parking lot looks its best.
- Repaving. If your school parking lot is crumbling or has significant damages, it may be necessary to repave it. Repaving your parking lot is something that is necessary when the time strikes to ensure a safer surface. Once repaved, you can help your school parking lot last as long as possible by conducting regular maintenance.
- Line striping. Clear lines that direct traffic, designate crosswalks, and show parking lots are essential, especially in school parking lots. The clearer the lines in your parking lot, the easier it is for people to navigate and the safer it can be.
Professional Asphalt Maintenance Services
Precision Asphalt Maintenance is here to help you keep your school’s parking lot in good condition. Our asphalt services include crack sealing, pothole repair, repaving, line striping, and more. If you have any questions about our asphalt services, please don’t hesitate to contact us today. We’re here to help you ensure that it is as safe as possible.
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