The Twilight Zone

TPTA RoundtableJuly 23, 2012

Video Evidence

Distribution of Liability Claims(Percentage of claims paid by US parking operator)

Slip & Fall57%

Trip & Fall16%

Assault6%

Vehicle Damage

9%

Gate Injury5%

Other7%

Data from claims to a national parking operator over four months, Source: Monahan, Donald R “Safety Considerations in Parking Facilities” The Parking Professional, September 1995

Nearly ¾!

Probably doesn’t include fender benders; most paid by auto insurance.These are mostly valet damage claims.

Pre-collision Actions(Percent of incidents)

0 10 20 30 40 50

One vehicle unparking

At aisle intersections

Both vehicles unparking

Sideswipe

Head-on or Rear end

One vehicle cutting across parking rows

One vehicle parking

Box, Paul, “Parking Lot Accident Characteristics”

ITE Journal Dec 1981

Parking and unparking comprise 2/3!

More info from Box ArticleAccidents reported to Naperville IL Police

� Data base of 825 accidents over three years (1978-80) in facilities with 15,850 parking spaces.

� 24 accidents with injuries (3%)� Moving vehicles striking moving vehicles comprised 29%

of all accidents, but just over half (13/24) of accidents with injury

� Of 24 accidents with injury:• 6 occurred at aisle intersections• 5 veh hit pedestrian (0.6% of all accidents, 21% of those with

injuries)• 5 occurred when moving vehicle struck fixed object (1 was a curb!)• 3 one vehicle cut across parking rows• 2 vehicle backed out of stall into path of other• 2 sideswipe (both vehicles driving forward) • 1 vehicle driving down aisle struck parked vehicle

Collisions in parking facilities(Percent of incidents)

Vehicle-Vehicle96.0%

Vehicle-Pedestrian3.5%

Vehicle-Cyclist0.5%

1996 Data Source: Safety Design Guidelines in Parking Facilities, First edition,

Vancouver: Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, Sept 1998

Very similar to Box study;accounts for 20% of injuries

Benefit of Liability Claims Data

Even if lawsuits are not a direct concern (e.g. in less litigious countries)the data shows WHAT CAUSES SERIOUS INJURIES in parking facilities

Fix the Lighting!

Lighting Uniformity

Avoiding the #1 Claim

ASTM Standard F1637 Safe Pedestrian Walking Surfaces, Summary:

• Illuminance per IESNA (latest edition)• Walking surfaces shall be slip resistant, including

pavement markings where wet conditions reasonably anticipated.

• Changes in level: same as in ADAAG (even where not an accessible route) • ¼” max vertical edge, beveled ¼ to ½”, No edges >1/2”

• Avoid wheel stops; where necessary, center in stall, min 3’ clear between ends (for 8’6” stall, that mean 5’6” max long)

• Avoid speed bumps• IBC prohibits speed bumps in parking facilities

• If required, use speed humps, paint (with slip resistance) and add pedestrian warning signs

In addition to ASTM IBC, and ADAAG stds, most consultants recommend:

• Wherever possible, use following to direct/control traffic* or separate vehicles from peds:• Bollards• Pipe guards• Flexible delineators

• Provide curbs/wheel stops only where no alternative to protect • Buildings• Landscaping (surface lots, green roofs etc)• Connections (precast spandrel panels) • Equipment

• If pedestrians might conceivably cross a necessary curb, paint yellow on vertical face and 6” horizontal• Not needed at perimeter where peds wouldn’t typically go across

curb

*Including preventing vehicles driving across parking lots….

Slippery Floor Surfaces• 57% of claims from slip and fall.• Various floor surfaces (concrete, asphalt, coatings, snow, ice,

water).• Current codes (including ADA, IBC and OSHA) do not have a

required minimum for coefficient of friction and/or slip resistance.

Recommendations are provided, but no recognized testing method is available.

• Proper drainage, even where covered and rain is rare• Traffic toppings/coatings loose their abrasion resistance (sand)

over time and must be recoated.• Stair treads have little surface area for foot and need to be slip

resistant. Consider adding abrasive nosings, if necessary.• Use glass beads or sand at large painted floor markings (turn

arrows, stop bars, etc).

Curbs of any type CAUSE INJURIES and should be avoided in parking.

� More liability claims in US for slips/trips and falls in parking than any other issue; 73% of claims in one study

� People are more likely to be injured by trips/slips and falls than by fender benders from people driving across parking lots.

� New ASTM standard (2002, reissued in 2009) for safe walking surfaces recommends against wheel stops and curbs• It was “on radar” of ASTM to do requirements for parking

areas!• Even though not (yet) incorporated by reference in building

codes, ASTM standard will be used by plaintiffs in lawsuits.� Wheel stops also make it difficult to clean parking areas, collect

refuse, etc.� Wheel stops are not effective at assisting drivers to park properly

in stalls.� Wheel stops are difficult to secure, and damage the concrete

over time.

Curbs/wheel stops can be trip hazards

Unpainted wheel stops used, off-centered. While some curbs beyond are painted, they still can cause trip hazards

Wheel stops in this position are even more likely to result in trips and falls than when stop is centered in stall

More importantly note how difficult it is to see wheel stop when concrete on concrete.

Curb intended “to protect” elevator waiting area, added railings (reportedly) after trip and

fall

Bollards instead of curbs would be better!

Use bollards to separate pedestriansfrom vehicles instead of curbs

We don’t need curbs here, either!

Use paint, bollards and pipe guards to direct traffic; use curbs only where

necessary

No curb on ramp edge; yellow-painted, concrete-filled post protects pipe

Note: equipment islands are absolute minimum required, with extra posts for further protection of equipment. Curb is for setting equipment

No curb between traffic flow in opposite directions on ramps (except where required to prohibit turns)

Paint necessary curbs yellow where peds might conceivably cross in path to/from

destination

Curbs at tower painted traffic yellow

Wheel stops didn’t protect these signs! Instead of wheel stops, put accessible sign in concrete-filled steel post, painted traffic yellow, centered on stall, out of ped path.

Note difficulty seeing wheel stops awayfrom light fixtures on asphalt too

Where curbs required, hold curbs back 10” min, 12” preferred, from nominal stall

line

Minimizes risk of somebody stepping out of car onto curb or tripping over it.

Also gives same comfort of turning movement into stall as other stalls.

More info against wheel stops and curbs� If concerned about “cross country” driving, break into smaller

sections with long islands, heavily landscaped to help pedestrians realize it is not a ped path.

� Use islands instead of wheel stops because difficult and expensive to clean behind wheel stops. Mechanical sweepers and/or snow removal equipment cannot access. Significant because regular maintenance and cleaning of floor areas are critical to durability.

� Curbs are NOT adequate to control lot perimeters for revenue control� Curbs are NOT adequate to meet code required vehicular impact

loads� None of the usual connection methods of wheelstops are desirable.

Stops epoxied to floor may be knocked loose often taking some surface with it. If the wheel stop is bolted or otherwise mechanically anchored, even small but repeated impact loadings can damage paving around anchor. • Creates path for water penetration into concrete (and corrosion) or

into base under asphalt.• Damaged surface can also be an additional tripping hazard

Wheel stops do not significantly improve parking position in stalls

� Low profile vehicles stop short. � If placed far enough to protect element from

maximum vehicular overhang, cause vast majority of cars (which have less overhang) to park farther out towards aisle.

� Useless for “Texas style” parking. � If knocked loose, causes yet more problems parking in

stalls

Therefore wheel stops and curbs have more negative than positive benefits.

Therefore:� Provide curbs ONLY where required to protect:

• Landscaping• Vulnerable construction• Structural connections (e.g. spandrel panels above

grade)� Where required for above, and where pedestrians

might foreseeable (wisely or not) try to walk across, paint vertical face and 6” at edge along top TRAFFIC YELLOW

� Eliminate wheelstops� Lighting to meet IESNA (latest edition)

• Calculate illumination at END of rated bulb life Most owners don’t relamp until burn out