One type of car park survey is a parking beat survey. This can provide information about typical duration of stay and volume of vehicles parked at any specific time such as peak hours. This enables planners to assess whether there is sufficient provision. Car park surveys are often used by supermarkets, but also by organisations such as universities and hospitals. They are also often carried out in town centres.
In addition to parking duration and capacity, illegal parking can be recorded as can use of disabled bays. Compliance with parking restrictions and rules can also be recorded.
Car park surveys can be used to compare occupancy with ticket sales so that enforcement can be monitored. They are also useful for establishing appropriate charging regimes. Both manual and video observation can be used.