Is Your Parking Lot A Liability?

Potholes and large cracks in your parking not only hurt the longevity of your parking lot, they also hurt your bottom line. How is that? Insurance companies want you to resolve potholes and large cracks because they are a liability. People fall into the holes, trip on them, or damage their vehicle. All of these are a liability. If your institution is putting off the issue all year (or longer), this adds up to a hefty price tag which even leads into total parking lot re-pavement. Is this preventable?

The easiest way to prevent issues with liability are to resolve issues with potholes and large cracks as they happen. Not only are repairs less costly for smaller potholes and cracks, but you prevent further damage to your parking lot. Potholes and cracks let water soak into your parking lot which damages your asphalt and causes erosion. This reduces the life of your asphalt and puts you on the fast track to having to repair or replace your lot entirely. To prevent this before it happens, always take care of your lot by checking regularly for problems and repairing problems, sweeping and cleaning the lot for debris and spills, and re-striping and sealcoating your lot periodically.

Many times when a lot is striped, the institution would like to make as many spots in the parking lot as possible to maximize the number of guests who can be in the building at once. Spots painted too narrowly and close together cause people to open their doors into the car next to them to get out, accidental accidents and collisions, and lots of angry guests. This is also a liability for your institution if these guests should bring the issue to your office. Lines should also be clear and stand out so that people know where to park. Don’t let lines fade. People will park wherever they want. A few simple steps will resolve this issue.