Bollards have been marking off dangerous traveling areas since before automobiles and trucks were invented. They were originally used as hitching posts for horses, and horse and buggy vehicles in addition to mooring sea-going vessels to stop them from breaking away and drifting out to sea. Bollards are posts commonly made of wood, or metals and they may be secured in cement or concrete, often reinforced and covered in concrete to create further strength. They are normally embedded in the ground deep enough to withstand an amount of force such as a car or vehicle out of control. Visibility is improved with bright colored paint and or reflectors.

Where are Snow Bollards Commonly Used?

Snow bollards are used for alerting drivers on streets with dangerous curves or steep inclines that become icy and treacherous during freezing winter storms, or when vision is impaired by heavy snow fall. Dangerous roads, streets or other areas where one side or the other drops off steeply, such as mountain roads or canyon passes are protected with brightly colored bollards to help attract the attention of motorists when driving in slippery or hazardous conditions. During snow and ice storms, brightly colored winter road safety bollards help alert snow plow drivers when roads are coming to an end, as well as lining the sides of roadways where vehicles going into a skid in icy conditions could possibly go over the edge if added protection were not present.

How are Marine Bollards Used?

Marine barriers can help prevent vehicles from driving over a cliff and down an embankment or into the ocean on dark nights or in stormy conditions when a driver's vision is impaired. Marine barrier bollards are of use as moorings for boats and yachts at marinas or around island peers to help keep sea vessels safely tethered. Bollards can be reinforcements to help protect vehicles and pedestrians from driving or walking off poorly lit coastal streets, boardwalks, piers or marine structures.

Other Modern Day Uses for Bollards

Modern days have found similar uses of bollards for protection pedestrians, public property and vehicles from ending up where they shouldn't. Bollards are often considered aesthetic for architectural landscapes in modern outdoor design. Bollards are also used as barricades for security purposes and to direct traffic around security buildings, government buildings, schools, shopping malls and financial institutions. They have been known to help slow down a car heading for a storefront or restaurant when a driver loses control. Mostly used for controlling the flow of traffic and deterring vehicles from drifting out of the safe pathways, their presence often blends into their surroundings until they are needed.