|
Kid Safety: Benefits and Installation of Driveway Guards Driveway guards are one of the best new outdoor safety products on the market today. Whether you live on a busy street or in a quiet neighborhood with little traffic except morning or evening rush hour, driveway guards offer you peace of mind when your children are playing outside. What is a Driveway Guard? A driveway guard is a safety net that extends across a driveway to create a barrier between your property and the public right of way or street. It is not a fence, yet it provides both a visual and physical barrier. Driveway guards are made of a soft plastic mesh that is sturdy and waterproof. The mesh is a bright orange color that makes it highly visible. Generally three feet high, they are available in several adjustable lengths, typically a maximum of 16, 18, or 25 feet. How is it Installed? Some assembly is required when installing driveway guards; however, they are really quite simple to set up. A driveway guard is essentially a large retractable tape measure that is designed to retract slowly. There are two poles, one large and one small. The large pole contains the net when it is retracted. The smaller pole is the one that extends to create the net barrier. Two sleeves (one for each pole) are buried at grade, one at each end of the driveway. Each of the poles fit into sleeves. To extend the net lift the pole out of the sleeve, extend the net, and then replace it in the sleeve. To retract the net, lift the pole out of the sleeve and retract it. When you are finished retracting it either place it back into the sleeve or remove it completely and store it. Two caps are provided to cover the sleeves when not in use. What are the Benefits? Costing between $70 and $100, driveway guards are an excellent safety product for children of all ages. They are especially useful if you have more than one child, or your house is the one where neighborhood children gather to play kickball or soccer in the driveway. Driveway guards are also useful for other areas besides the driveway, for example to enclose a side or front yard, or cordon off a part of the back yard. One of the best uses for driveway guards is to contain runaway balls. Often children are so busy playing that they race out into the street without looking. Driveway guards can also help prevent accidents from happening, for instance when children are busy riding their bikes and not paying attention to whether any cars are coming. The bright orange color of the driveway guard also alerts drivers of an activity ahead. The design of a driveway guard makes it easy to store. In addition, it is lightweight, easy to carry around, and there are no unwieldy nets to fold up. Because the poles fit straight into the below grade sleeves, there are no heavy sandbags or weights needed to stabilize the poles. Another advantage to having the sleeves set at grade is they don't interfere with lawn maintenance, nor will they cause a stumbling hazard.
|
| |
