One of the most common questions in bollard planning is how far apart the bollards need to be. The answer depends on what you are trying to stop and what you need to let through. Get the spacing wrong in either direction and you either block legitimate users or leave gaps that defeat the security purpose entirely.
The maximum gap between bollards should be smaller than the width of the vehicle you are trying to exclude. For passenger vehicles, a gap of 1.2 metres (4 feet) or less is the standard recommendation. A typical car is 1.8-2.0 metres wide, but the wheel track — the width that actually needs to clear the bollard — is approximately 1.5 metres. A 1.2 metre gap allows bicycles, wheelchairs, and pedestrians to pass while stopping cars.
For applications where you need to exclude motorcycles and small scooters, reduce the gap to 0.9 metres. For applications where only pedestrians should pass, 0.6-0.75 metres is the appropriate gap.
Storefront and town centre pedestrian zones typically use bollard spacing of 1.0-1.2 metres to balance accessibility with vehicle exclusion. This spacing allows:
- Standard wheelchairs (width ~660mm) to pass comfortably
- Mobility scooters (width ~680mm) to pass
- Delivery trolleys (typically 600-750mm wide) to pass
- Standard pushchairs and prams to pass
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and equivalent accessibility standards in the UK (PAS 128), EU, and Australia all specify minimum passage widths for compliant installations. For pedestrian areas, the minimum accessible route width is 900mm, and passing spaces every 60 metres are required for routes narrower than 1.8 metres. When planning bollard spacing for public areas, consult your local accessibility standard to ensure compliance.
The primary threat to storefronts is vehicle intrusion — whether accidental (driver error) or deliberate (smash-and-grab). For this application, the bollard line needs to be continuous enough that a vehicle cannot find a gap wide enough to drive through at speed.
Standard practice is to place bollards at 1.0-1.2 metre centres across the full width of the storefront, extending at least 1.0 metre beyond the door frame on each side. Corner positions need special attention — a vehicle approaching at an angle can enter the protected zone from the side if bollards do not extend far enough.
When automatic bollards are used in vehicle lanes — at parking entrances, hotel drop-offs, or facility gates — the spacing is determined by lane width rather than security gap requirements. Standard vehicle lanes are 3.0-3.5 metres wide. A single bollard centred in the lane raises to block the lane when needed.
For multi-lane applications, bollards are positioned at the lane dividers. A pair of bollards flanking a single lane creates a controlled passage that is visually defined and physically enforced. The gap between the two bollards should be 10-20% wider than the target vehicle width to allow for normal driving variation without risking contact with the bollard housing.
Every bollard installation protecting a building entrance or public space must preserve emergency vehicle access. Fire engines require a minimum 3.1 metre width and often need a 5.0 metre turning radius. These requirements typically mean leaving a section of the bollard line as either automatic (retractable) bollards or as a removable bollard section.
Check local fire code requirements before finalising your bollard layout. In many jurisdictions, the fire authority must approve access plans for any installation that modifies vehicular access to a building.
Fixed bollards along road verges, medians, and landscape boundaries serve a different purpose from access control bollards — they are primarily delineators that prevent vehicles from leaving the road surface or entering restricted areas. For this application, bollard spacing of 2.0-4.0 metres is common, adjusted based on sight lines and the speed of approaching vehicles.
At higher vehicle speeds, the bollard line needs to be more visible from a distance. Retroreflective bands or high-visibility colours on bollards at 2.0 metre spacing are more effective deterrents than unmarked bollards at 4.0 metre spacing.
For pedestrian zones excluding passenger vehicles: 1.0-1.2 metres centre-to-centre. For zones excluding motorcycles: 0.9 metres or less. For storefront ram-raid protection: 1.0-1.2 metres, full-width plus corners. For vehicle lane control: lane width with bollard at centre. For road verge delineation: 2.0-4.0 metres based on vehicle speed.
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