Fire Lane Striping
Commercial parking lots require fire lane striping not only for compliance but also for safety. Fire lanes play a critical role during emergencies by providing fire trucks and other first responders’ vehicles easy access to the scene of an emergency. Fire lane striping marks the designated fire lane so that other vehicles and pedestrians know to avoid it.
Safety Requirements for Fire Lane StripingEach state has a Fire Code which provides guidelines for fire lane design and striping. The following are the general requirements for fire lane striping in the US:
How Often Should You Restripe Your Fire Lanes?The fire lanes, along with handicap parking slots, can easily land you into trouble with the law if they are not visible. However, there’s no law dictating how often you should restripe. The typical parking lot will require restriping annually.
You might need to restripe sooner or later, depending on the following factors:
Benefits of Striping Your Fire Lanes
Can You Park in the Fire Lane?Parking in a fire lane is illegal, regardless of whether you own the parking lot. Even using it as an unloading zone is against the law.
If a police officer or fire marshal catches you using the fire lane, they will issue you a citation. In most states, the maximum penalty for obstructing the fire lane is $150. The fine is also applicable for allowing the illegal parking of a vehicle or any other obstruction on the fire lane. If you own a parking lot, you have to follow all the rules related to fire lane striping. There are slight deviations in these requirements from state-to-state. However, an experienced local parking lot striping company will know all the requirements, saving you the trouble of having to master the fire lane striping requirements. |
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