Vehicular-related storefront crashes occur for numerous reasons and can have serious consequences, especially if the affected storefront is mainly glass. To help you protect your storefront, learn about some of the most common causes of storefront crashes and what bollards do to prevent them.

Typical Causes

There are several main reasons for storefront crashes:

Visually Impaired Drivers: If a driver is not wearing the correct corrective lenses or has trouble seeing at night, they can accidentally crash into a storefront.

Intoxicated Drivers: Those who drive under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance can cause vehicular harm, such as driving up on a sidewalk and into a glass storefront.

Malicious Drivers: Sadly, some drivers crash into storefronts on purpose. While this cause is not as common, it usually occurs when a driver crashes into a glass storefront, resulting in a commotion. The driver’s accomplices use the commotion to steal as much as they can from the store—cash, merchandise, equipment, and anything else of value. These occurrences are referred to as “smash and grab” incidents.

Distracted and Drowsy Drivers: Storefront crashes can also occur because a driver is distracted, such as a driver in an unfamiliar area looking at their phone or a map instead of the road. Drowsy drivers can cause storefront crashes as well, including those who fall asleep at the wheel or are so tired they can no longer pay attention to what they are doing.

Bollard Protection

Bollards with crash ratings come in M30, M40, and M50 options. M30 bollards stop 15,000-pound vehicles going up to 30 miles an hour, while M40 bollards arrest 15,000- pound vehicles going up to 40 miles an hour. M50 bollards stop 15,000-pound vehicles going up to 50 miles an hour. There are also low-speed crash-tested bollards that stop 5,000-pound vehicles going up to 30 miles an hour, up to 10, 20, or 30 miles an hour, depending on the model selected. These bollards can be highly effective in front of stores in low-speed areas.

As you can see, crash-rated bollards provide storefront protection and invaluable peace of mind. They provide protection in three main ways:

Storefront Damage Protection: When staggered along a curb in front of a storefront, crash-tested bollards protect the building and its contents from damage. This can mean protection for expensive merchandise and equipment.

Patron and Employee Injury Protection: Crash-rated bollards keep patrons and employees protected from accidental and intentional vehicular crashes. This allows staff to concentrate on their work and patrons to focus on what items they need or want to purchase.

Smash And Grab Protection: Bollards help keep individuals from intentionally using glass storefronts as avenues for theft.

What type of bollard does your storefront need? Browse our selection at 1800Bollards today.