Crash Barriers

Crash barriers are guards installed on roadways to keep traffic from leaving the road. Crash barriers may be installed on mountainous roads with steep drops, on bridges or on median separators on multi-lane freeways, among other places.

Permanent guardrail crash barriers’ supports are usually designed to snap on impact, to allow the guardrail to deform and “catch” the vehicle, while the elastic effect directs the vehicle back onto the roadway. However, over and above the guardrail’s function to act as a physical restraint system when a vehicle hits it, it also serves other, static purposes. It has been shown that the presence of a guardrail increases driver confidence and lessens centre lane crowding. Of course, its presence warns of danger, and it denotes the maximum safe limit of travel. Its reflective surface is also highly visible at night, especially when fitted with reflective delineators.

Wire rope safety fences are also installed along roadways and offer similar properties to guard rails, but have a different design. They offer even more of the elastic effect as the yielding cable system redirects a vehicle back onto the roadway.

Crashworthy portable barriers are also available for use at roadwork sites, or where traffic needs to be redirected temporarily. These are usually made of plastic in bright, contrasting colours and are very easy to install due to their low weight. Once installed, they are filled with water and offer superior penetration resistance.

Other types of water-filled crash barriers are used on construction sites and especially at toll plazas. These barriers are designed to be extremely impact resistant. They are often expected to not only “catch” a passing vehicle that have skidded (and direct it back onto the road), but to absorb full-on, direct impacts of passenger as well as heavy commercial vehicles. This kind of barrier is found at toll plazas to absorb impact and keep errant vehicles away from the manned tollbooths.

• Crash Barriers
• South Africa Road Safety
• Car Accidents
• Bike Accidents
• Road Products