Why car parks need a measured lighting survey
Car parks are where lighting failures become visible fastest: a column out on a dark corner, a deck where half the battens have failed, a ramp that looks like a black hole when you drive in from bright daylight. Poor lighting raises the risk of pedestrian and vehicle collisions, trips on kerbs and speed humps, and crime or fear of crime. A car park lighting survey records the illuminance and uniformity across the whole site after dark, so owners and operators can show the car park is adequately lit and target repairs.
Lighting of car parks in the UK is covered by BS 5489-1:2020 Design of road lighting, which sets lighting classes for car parks by level of use. Outdoor car parks associated with workplaces also fall under BS EN 12464-2:2024, and covered or multi-storey car parks under BS EN 12464-1:2021. Where staff use the car park, regulation 8 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 applies too.
Car park lux values
| Area | Em (lux) | Uo |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor parking, light traffic (e.g. shops, residential) | 5 | 0.25 |
| Outdoor parking, medium traffic (e.g. offices, plants, sports complexes) | 10 | 0.25 |
| Outdoor parking, heavy traffic (e.g. major retail and sports venues) | 20 | 0.25 |
| Indoor car park: traffic lanes, internal ramps, pedestrian paths | 75 | 0.40 |
| Indoor car park: entry and exit ramps, day | 300 | 0.40 |
| Indoor car park: entry and exit ramps, night | 75 | 0.40 |
| Ticket offices | 300 | 0.60 |
Outdoor values follow BS EN 12464-2:2024, which BS 5489-1:2020 mirrors for exterior car parks; indoor values are from BS EN 12464-1:2021. Daytime ramp lighting is higher so drivers' eyes can adapt as they move from daylight into a covered deck. Vertical illuminance at face height also matters for CCTV and for people feeling safe, and we record it on pedestrian routes where requested.
What the survey covers
- Parking bays and aisles, measured on a grid at ground level across each zone.
- Entrances, exits and ramps, by day and night for covered car parks.
- Pedestrian routes, crossings, stair cores and lift lobbies.
- Pay stations, barriers, ticket machines and EV charging bays, where people stop and use equipment.
- Accessible bays and drop-off zones.
- Perimeter, boundary and footpath links to the building.
- Column and fitting condition: failures, misalignment, vegetation shading and photocell or timer faults.
Who asks for a car park lighting report
Requests come from facilities and property managers of business parks, retail parks, hospitals and residential blocks; from car park operators and local authorities; from insurers after a vehicle or pedestrian incident; and from landlords recording lighting condition at lease events. Operators working towards the Safer Parking Scheme Park Mark award use measured lighting as part of their evidence. Planning conditions sometimes require lighting performance to be demonstrated after a new car park is built.
How we carry out a car park survey
- We agree the extent of the site, access and any traffic management with you beforehand.
- Outdoor surveys are carried out after dark, with photocells or timers confirmed to be in their normal night state.
- Multi-storey car parks are measured deck by deck, with ramp readings by day and by night where required.
- Readings are taken with a calibrated lux meter on a grid suited to the bay and aisle layout, wearing high-visibility clothing and working around live traffic.
What you receive
- A zone-by-zone report of average, minimum and uniformity against the applicable class or value.
- A site plan marked with reading positions and any failed or under-performing columns and fittings.
- A fault schedule your maintenance contractor can work from.
- Recommendations covering repairs, re-aiming, cutting back vegetation, control changes and targeted additional lighting.
Report turnaround is confirmed when you book.
Car park lighting surveys across London and the South East
We survey surface and multi-storey car parks across London, Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent, Surrey, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk. For yards and service areas see industrial lux testing, and for stair cores in multi-storeys our emergency lighting lux survey.
Price
Car park and external lighting surveys start from £250. Large or multi-storey car parks and multi-site programmes are priced on application, and every price is confirmed before booking. See pricing or use the cost calculator.
Book a car park lighting survey
Send us the site address, approximate number of spaces, whether it is surface or multi-storey and when it is quietest after dark. Book your car park survey.
Frequently asked questions
What lux level does a car park need?
Outdoor car parks range from 5 lux average for light traffic to 20 lux for heavy traffic, each with uniformity of 0.25. Indoor traffic lanes need 75 lux, rising to 300 lux on entry ramps by day.
Which standard applies to car park lighting in the UK?
BS 5489-1:2020 covers car park lighting classes, BS EN 12464-2:2024 covers outdoor work places, and BS EN 12464-1:2021 covers covered and multi-storey car parks.
Do you survey car parks at night?
Yes. External lighting can only be measured properly after dark, so surface car park surveys are carried out in the evening with lighting in its normal night state.
Can the report help with Park Mark or a planning condition?
A measured survey showing illuminance and uniformity across the site is useful evidence for the Safer Parking Scheme and for demonstrating compliance with planning conditions on new car parks.