Parking blocks, also called wheel stops or car stops, are low barriers of concrete, rubber or recycled plastic placed at the head of a parking stall to stop a vehicle’s tire before the car reaches a walkway, wall, landscaping or equipment.
They give drivers a physical cue that they have reached the end of the stall. They also create a tripping hazard that is hard to see between parked cars, especially at night and for people looking at their phones or carrying packages. For that reason many parking designers and safety consultants avoid them in pedestrian areas and prefer curbs, bollards or bumper walls where protection is needed.
Where they help
- Protecting landscaping, utility equipment, columns or building walls at the head of a stall.
- Stopping vehicles before a sidewalk where the bumper overhang would block the walkway.
- Positioning vehicles at EV chargers so cords reach and equipment is protected.
Problems
- Trip hazard. A frequent source of falls and liability claims.
- Overhang. The bumper extends two to three feet past the block, so a block set at the edge of a walkway still lets the car block it.
- Maintenance. Blocks shift, crack and trap debris and snow, and get in the way of sweeping and snow removal.
- Restriping. Fixed blocks lock in a layout that may need to change.
Alternatives
- A raised curb with enough setback for the overhang.
- Bollards placed where they protect equipment without sitting in the walking path.
- A bumper wall or vehicle barrier in parking structures.
The Parkonomics view
A wheel stop solves the car’s problem and creates the pedestrian’s. Before specifying one, ask what it is protecting and whether a curb, bollard or wider walkway would protect it without putting a trip hazard in every stall.
Related terms: Bumper Wall, Pedestrian Guardrails, Parking Geometry, Accessible Parking