Ensuring your site access and parking areas are safe and secure by restricting vehicle access using access control, including Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), is an important factor in overall site security. This is especially true for certain industries (eg construction, security, government) to limit opportunities for unauthorised persons to access items or material on-site.
Our guide aims to give you some advice on what to consider when implementing ANPR and vehicle access control — and how Tensor can help.
Physical restrictions for vehicles
An important place to start when implementing vehicle access control is fences, walls and other physical boundaries around the perimeter of your site to channel vehicles through minimal entry and exit points.
It is easier to control and track vehicles as they arrive and leave through one point, and makes it harder for anyone to access the site via a different route.
For increased perimeter security monitor the boundaries with CCTV systems to alert the necessary people if anything suspicious is noticed.
Gates and barriers
Vehicle access control requires some form of physical barrier at the entry and exit route(s) of your site to ensure only authorised vehicles have access.
It is important to consider the purpose and degree of security required when deciding on what gates and barriers to use.
A full-height gate (hinged or sliding) for your site entrance provides the most security when sealed, but requires quite a bit of time to open and close. Not only does this slow down entry and exit, it also provides the opportunity for tailgating — when someone closely follows another person through the gate. If there is no manned booth at the entry site, even with CCTV monitoring this can prove to be a serious concern.
A smaller barrier that operates faster provides a more convenient and efficient method of access control. It allows for quicker access for vehicles, reducing the concern of tailgating, and can be installed where space is limited. It is less secure than full-size gates, particularly against pedestrians who may try to sneak around or over it.
Rising bollards might also be an option for vehicle access control. These are normally used to allow freedom of pedestrian access but limit access to cars and vans etc (but not bikes or scooters). As such, they could be a good choice if you only want to restrict vehicles from entering your site, not people.
Whichever method you choose, make sure your selected gate or barrier is of high quality, for reasons of security, durability and maintenance and that it not only suit your needs now, but also any potential future plans. A benefit of using one of Tensor's gates or barriers is that it can seamlessly integrate with Tensor's other systems (including Visitor Monitoring, Time and Attendance, and CCTV) and the software can scale with your businesses.
Vehicle access control methods
Controlling access to your site through a gate requires a method of opening the gate. Traditionally this would have been a person in a booth with manual control, an intercom system, or a keypad on which to enter a code, but more efficient and cost-effective methods of authorisation are available.
Using a smartcard not only provides quick and easy access to the site, but it can also be used site-wide, both externally and internally, to access other areas of the site. A smartcard-based access control system can also be integrated with a time and attendance system to better manage employee timesheets, and fire roll call systems to more easily see staff locations in an emergency.
A potential downside of a smartcard system for access control is that cards can get lost or stolen; with a quality system like Tensor's this negative impact is lessened by everything being managed from a convenient platform where permissions can be removed or added on an individual basis.
Another potential method of vehicle access control is biometrics: the use of a fingerprint or facial authentication at the gate. Unlike a smartcard, the credential of a face or finger will not get lost, but it may be difficult for use in a vehicle, particularly for vehicles of different heights at one reader.
An ideal method for vehicle access control is ANPR.
What is ANPR?
A highly effective vehicle access control method, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to identify information on a number plate.
ANPR is most commonly known for its use by law enforcement where the police use ANPR to check for vehicles that have been stolen or used in relation to a crime. It is also used in paid car parks to monitor if vehicles overstay.
CCTV cameras 'read' the number plate of a vehicle, and the ANPR system checks it against a database of number plates. In the case of access control, if there is a match, the gate or barrier will open. It can even flag undesired number plates with an alert.
ANPR can provide a much more efficient vehicle access control method because the driver does not need to do anything, and the readers can scan number plates at speeds over 100mph from a distance of 25 metres.
There are some limitations and considerations to using ANPR for access control. Cameras must have a clear view of number plates, so poorly positioned, dirty or damaged cameras, or damaged or dirty numberplates, can limit their effectiveness.
ANPR systems are also governed by GDPR laws in the UK, because they collect individual data. The Information Commissioner's Office has a useful checklist of factors to consider when thinking about installing an ANPR system. Most important, is that the data is kept safe and secure, that only relevant vehicles are being captured (i.e. the cameras are not pointed at public roads), and that there is plenty of easy-to-see signage informing drivers of its use.
However you decide to implement vehicle access control at your premises, there are ways to suit all needs and budgets — and Tensor can help. Get in touch to discuss your requirements.
