Spike strips are essential tools used to control vehicle movement and enhance security in various settings. However, not all spike strips are the same. The design and function of spike strips used on highways differ significantly from those installed in parking lots. Understanding these differences is important for businesses, security professionals, and even drivers who encounter them. We’ll explore the key distinctions between highway spike strips and parking lot spike strips to provide clear insight into their unique purposes and applications.
Their Primary Purpose and Function is Different
The main difference between highway spike strips and parking lot spike strips lies in their purpose and functionality.
- Highway Spike Strips: These spike strips are designed for law enforcement and emergency use, primarily to stop vehicles during high-speed chases or to manage dangerous situations. Their purpose is to puncture tires and ‘safely’ slow down a vehicle without causing a complete loss of control. This helps law enforcement agencies bring a pursuit to an end while minimizing risk to the public and the officers involved. They’re also lightweight and can be carried around with ease.
- Parking Lot Spike Strips: Parking lot spike strips, also known as traffic control strips, are used for different reasons. These stationary strips enforce one-way traffic flow and prevent unauthorized entry or exit. They ensure that vehicles can only move in the designated direction and help manage traffic efficiently in parking lots, private roads, and controlled-access areas. Unlike highway spike strips, they are designed for low-speed environments and function as a deterrent to unauthorized movement. They’re also stuck in the ground rather than in the back of someone’s car.
Their Design and Construction are Completely Different
The design and construction of highway and parking lot spike strips are tailored to their specific uses.
- Highway Spike Strips: Highway spike strips are portable and usually made from strong, flexible materials that can be quickly deployed and removed by law enforcement officers. The spikes are sharp, long, and strong enough to puncture the tires of high-speed vehicles effectively. These strips are built to handle extreme situations and are made to ensure that when a vehicle’s tires are punctured, the air is released slowly to prevent a sudden blowout and reduce the risk of a crash.
- Parking Lot Spike Strips: Parking lot spike strips are typically permanent installations embedded into the road surface. They have shorter spikes compared to their highway counterparts and are designed to puncture tires only if a vehicle travels in the wrong direction. These spikes are usually spring-loaded and retract when a vehicle moves in the correct direction, making them safe for authorized traffic. The materials used for parking lot spike strips are durable, weather-resistant metals or composites built to withstand daily traffic and varying weather conditions.
You Can’t Even Compare How They’re Deployed
The way these spike strips are deployed and used highlights another significant difference.
- Highway Spike Strips: Highway spike strips are manually deployed by law enforcement officers during specific situations, such as high-speed pursuits. They are quickly laid out across the road to intercept a fleeing vehicle and are removed after use. Their portability is essential for rapid deployment and retrieval.
- Parking Lot Spike Strips: Parking lot spike strips are installed permanently and do not require manual deployment. Once they are set up, they function automatically by retracting when vehicles move in the correct direction and extending if a vehicle tries to travel the wrong way. These strips are commonly found at exits, private property entry points, and parking garages to control traffic and prevent unauthorized movement.
They Share Speed, Ethics, and Safety Considerations
The environment in which each type of spike strip is used has a significant impact on its design and safety features.
- Highway Spike Strips: Safety is paramount for highway spike strips because they are used in high-speed scenarios. The spikes are engineered to deflate tires gradually, allowing the driver to maintain some control of the vehicle and reduce the likelihood of a high-speed crash. This gradual deflation is crucial for minimizing danger to the driver, passengers, and others on the road.
- Parking Lot Spike Strips: These spike strips are designed for low-speed environments, so the focus is on preventing unauthorized entry or exit rather than managing high-speed chases. The spikes are often blunt-tipped or spring-loaded to ensure they only puncture tires if a vehicle moves in the wrong direction at a low speed. The goal is to deter drivers from entering or exiting where they shouldn’t, without posing a significant risk to vehicle control.
It’s a Common Question and There Isn’t a Lot of Info Online About Parking Lot Spikes
Understanding the differences between highway spike strips and parking lot spike strips is essential for their proper use and application. Highway spike strips are specialized tools used by law enforcement to safely manage high-speed chases, while parking lot spike strips help maintain traffic flow and prevent unauthorized movement in low-speed environments. Both types of spike strips play a vital role in safety and security but are designed and used very differently to meet their specific needs. If you want more of a visual explanation, this actually came up on a news show semi recently.