Your parking lot lighting matters. The dimmer it is, the more dangerous it could be for those who use it. A lot of crimes and vehicular accidents have happened in poorly lit parking lots. If you take the time to evaluate and improve your lighting systems, there may be ways to avoid these incidents from happening in your parking lot. Here is a list of suggestions that you can do to make your parking lot safer.
Lighting maintenance policies
A lot of facility managers overlook lighting maintenance. This refers to the upkeep, replacement, and updating of lighting fixtures in your parking lot. There are actual lighting maintenance policies in place to help prevent visual degradation in an area.
Regular dusting
Dust and debris can stick to laps and this can dim the light they emit so maintenance means dusting them regularly. You should also clean all fixtures and their housing at least once or twice a year.
Choose the right lamps
Most parking lots use high-pressure sodium lamps or metal halide for their lighting poles. These lamps drain a lot of power and it usually takes a good 15 minutes before they are able to emit full brightness. Also, using high-intensity discharge lamps actually lose their effectiveness over time since they lose their brightness the longer you use it. Consider upgrading to led retrofit kits for parking lot fixtures this way you do not need to do a lot of maintenance and you can be assured that it will take a couple of years before they need to be replaced. LED lamps are also more cost-effective and energy-efficient, which can save you a lot of money.
Replace burnt-out fixtures
Burnt-out bulbs cause uneven lighting in your parking lot. This means you will have weak security spots in the area and this can be a window for crime and vandalism to take place. This can also point out your neglect when it comes to maintenance for those who are using your parking lot. If the burnt-out bulbs are in key areas like exits, entrances, walkways, sidewalks, or near dumpsters, these bulbs should be replaced right away.
Consider dusk to dawn lighting
Dusk to dawn lighting makes use of LED technology and photocells. The lights turn on automatically when it is dark and turns off automatically when it is morning. The photocells act like light sensors so when the environment is dark, they emit more light. As the surrounding slowly gets more natural light, the light slowly dims until it automatically turns off. This ensures that the lights are on and are on its brightest when needed. This greatly helps with your energy consumption.
With these tips in mind, your parking lot will surely be a more secure and safer area than before. People who use your parking lot will no longer feel afraid when they have to walk to their cars all by themselves or fear that their car can get stolen if they leave it in your parking lot for a few hours.
