Motorbike friendly crash barriers

[Cloggy]

In April the Netherlands started installing their new motorbike friendly crash barriers. The original types (meant for cars and trucks) were causing serious injuries to bike riders if they came off.
Motorrijders Actie Groep - Geleiderails

These barriers will replace the older ones where there is a real risk of bike riders coming off, for example in tight corners.

How are things in your neck of the woods?

 

[wrightme43]

In April the Netherlands started installing their new motorbike friendly crash barriers. The original types (meant for cars and trucks) were causing serious injuries to bike riders if they came off.
Motorrijders Actie Groep - Geleiderails

These barriers will replace the older ones where there is a real risk of bike riders coming off, for example in tight corners.

How are things in your neck of the woods?

Well thats awesome. Here they just keep putting up more death rails. Places they dont need them at all, yep there is one.

 

[shaggystyle]

Last year the city of Louisville decided it would be a brilliant idea to put up cable fences along the medians of all our major highways (2 of which I travel on my way to work each day). Those things scare the geebus out of me, I just picture myself flying into one of those at 70+ mph and coming out the other side looking like sliced deli meat.

 

[Cloggy]

I just picture myself flying into one of those at 70+ mph and coming out the other side looking like sliced deli meat.

That would have warranted a smily if it wasn't so damned true.

 

[reiobard]

those are a brilliant idea, also just looks like an attachment to the already in place rails that blocks off the bottoms. I wish they would do something like that for the rails around here

 

[Cloggy]

those are a brilliant idea, also just looks like an attachment to the already in place rails that blocks off the bottoms.....

Yep, that's all it is.

 

[reiobard]

Yep, that's all it is.

not sure how the ones near you are made but ours seem to flare up a little at the top which i am alwasy afraid will decapitate me, maybe they should start rolling the tops inn too?

 

[opds9091]

and the best part was they were all drinking "CHEERS MATE".

 

[Cloggy]

and the best part was they were all drinking "CHEERS MATE".

Sorry didn't translate that they were drinking alcohol free drinks

 

[sportrider]

the most comman berriers around here are K-rail concrete walls(jersey curbs I think some people call them), although most of the older guard rails are the W-type.
on this topic here is a link I found on the subject
Citizens for Roadside Safety, Guardrails Can Kill!

here's one on the K-rail
K-rail concrete barrier (Stuff)

 

[reiobard]

the most comman berriers around here are K-rail concrete walls(jersey curbs I think some people call them), although most of the older guard rails are the W-type.
on this topic here is a link I found on the subject
Citizens for Roadside Safety, Guardrails Can Kill!

here's one on the K-rail
K-rail concrete barrier (Stuff)

the Jersey barrier in that picture looks like it is in rough shape, although i di feel safer riding next to those on the bike than i do with the w barriers

 

[Cloggy]

Things are finally moving again there are numerous new motorbike friendly crash barriers being installed in my county (province) of Noord Holland (North Holland) in the coming month. Here's a link to the Dutch story

Here's a quick translation:
"The ministry of transport are placing motorbike friendly guardrail in 21 bends on the highways A1, A7, A9, A10, A22, N9 in North Holland. Work started this week and will end late in November 2009. The traffic is not significantly hampered because the installation of the guardrail occurs in the evening and night time.

In 2007 the ministry of transport installed the first official motorbike friendly crash barrier at the Holendrecht junction (between the A9 and the A2). With this first guardrail the ministry of transport started a national project involving installing safety barriers in curves of national roads and so making them safer for motorcyclists. With the experience of the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) and Royal Dutch Motorcyclists Association (KNMV)and the knowledge of the ministry of transport criteria was laid down for the placement of motorbike friendly crash barriers.These Criteria include sharp bends, less room for evasive action or impaired vision.

Shared responsibility
The safety of the motorcyclist is a shared responsibility. Firstly, the motorcyclist must suitably adjust his speed for the bend. Furthermore, the road manager also has a responsibility for road safety. The implementation of these motorbike friendly crash barriers by the ministry of transport in bends that are deemed dangerous for motorcyclists will provide increased safety if something untoward would happen."


If you click on the PDF at the bottom you can see the locations, they're also installing one on Alkmaars ring road (where I live) :rockon:.

After placing a few of the motorcycle friendly barriers a while back there was a long delay, because of some kind of euro parliament disagreement on these things

Anyway things are finally on the move again :thumbup:

 

[Norbert]

That is a lot of reflective clothing.

:BLAA:

 

[westgoingzax]

I didn't realize median barriers were such a science until doing some looking around in regard to this post. I came across this hilarious quote from a history of New Jersey (USA) barriers website:
"New Jersey did not use crash-testing to develop the barrier. The state highway department observed the accident results of its barrier installations, and evolved the shape of the barrier."

Thank you to the New Jersey driving population from the 60s and 70s for their dedication in improving the design of median barriers. I hope I'm just reading stupidity into the state highway department approach.

 

[deeptekkie]

Exaaaaaaaaactly. I'm seeing alot of those around here too. Many have already been damaged by idiots in 4/18 wheelers.

 

[dako81]

They just put up miles and miles of these this summer.....

 

[Wolfman]

Good to seeat least one country is doing stuff to look after bikes...not like over here, where the roads that bike riders use most often, are left with big holes in tight corners, rough road surface, etc....i think it is because our authorities think that if they let the road get so bad, then we wont ride those roads as much....

We are definitely treated as "temporary citizens" in Australia...for the most!

 

[Andz]

They just put up miles and miles of these this summer.....

They are all over the place here too, give me the shivers.

 

[Shinn]

They are all over the place here too, give me the shivers.

Likewise here. Lots of concrete ones for main roads but for temp stuff it is all that wire guard rail. I've seen cars shredded by them at 100km/h... can't wait to see what a bike does at that speed.

 

[simonwb]

Wire shredder barriers have appeared here in the UK too, though riders' groups are campaigning against them with some success I believe.

These things worry me too:

I'm guessing the flat front end barrier there is to stop four-wheelers riding up over the barrier at speed, but for a bike(r) it's just a wall.