What exactly is a boom barrier, and why do so many places use one instead of a gate?

Boom barriers are all over the place. Even in places like hospitals and schools, there are boom barriers. As a consumer, I noticed some trends after the boom barriers became popular.

At first, I thought boom barriers were just automated gates. After keeping an eye on some though, they seem to have some different functions.

The general consensus is that boom barriers are primarily used to regulate the flow of vehicles and not provide access control to the property. A vehicle approaches the barrier, either a guard or a system does a check to confirm if the vehicle has access to enter the premises (through something like an RFID, remote control, or number plate recognition), and the boom barrier relents. The barrier then lifts after the vehicle passes.

The main question is, why is a full sliding gate not preferred and a boom barrier preferred?

Are boom barriers faster?

More like are boom barriers designed to funnel and regulate the flow of vehicles while other security tools are employed to provide access control and security to the property?

More boom barriers are being made and constructed to help keep traffic flowing rather than employed to secure a location. For that reason, are boom barriers even reliable?

Do these systems work well when hundreds of vehicles pass through every day?

How often do they need maintenance?

What happens if there's a power outage?

Are the sensors good enough to stop the arm from coming down on a vehicle?

I've seen some boom barriers open and close in just a couple of seconds.

If you have experience managing a parking facility, an apartment complex, an office building, or an industrial site, your insight is appreciated!

Have boom barriers created an easier way to control vehicle access?

Have you experienced any problems that don't arise until you've used a boom barrier for a while?

I've always been interested in the real-world feedback of people who have had to work with these systems rather than reading the dry descriptions that always accompany products.

Sometimes the practical constraints of daily experience can inform you a lot more than the technical specs of a product.