Concrete barriers are not unsafe. You do realize that most points of contact with any median highway barrier running parallel to travel lanes are going to be a glancing blow and not a head on collision, right?

There is more give in the cables, but the main reason they are popular now because there aren't many other options for medians with a drainage swale, which is what most rural American interstate highways have.

I think they need to redesign them to be useful further from the highway. They are just too close, subjecting them to minor impacts. It's a good idea that needs to evolve.

This post was edited on 1/5/15 at 8:34 am

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Posted by Road Tiger

SW Landmass

Member since Oct 2014

834 posts

Posted on 1/5/15 at 8:35 am to member12

quote:
You do realize that most points of contact with any median highway barrier running parallel to travel lanes are going to be a glancing blow and not a head on collision, right?

In an urban setting with a tight corridor, yes that is correct.

But in instances where you're talking about wide open pieces of interstate, you're not dealing with glancing blows. You're looking at things like drivers falling asleep at the wheel and veering into the median. That is where cables come in.

What end treatment do you propose for a concrete barrier in the middle of the interstate with a 75 mph speed limit? How can you design that safely with no chance of fatalities?

ETA: I realize that with everything, there is some chance of fatality. But in road design, you design at the absolute minimum risk, especially with interstates.

This post was edited on 1/5/15 at 8:40 am

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Posted by Hammertime

Will trade dowsing rod for titties

Member since Jan 2012

43030 posts

Posted on 1/5/15 at 11:09 am to member12

You're still not getting it. The main difference between the two is that the cables "catch" you and absorb the impact much better than concrete because they stretch and break. It is basically a conservation of momentum concept when you break it down

And to your point about them being close to the road, I haven't seen any that didn't at least have a lane's width between the edge of the road and the cable. There is a reason for that also

*I'm no traffic engineer, but if you look at everything logically and use your ENTIRE brain, you should be able to figure this stuff out

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