Crash barriers can kill

Crash barriers cause injuries five times more severe than the hazards they are supposed to stop us hitting, according to the Institute of Advanced Motoring (IAM).
A rider who hits a barrier is also five times more likely to be killed than a car driver, IAM director Bert Morris claims in the latest issue of IAM magazine Advanced Driving.

Morris said: “The actual statistics are vague, but hitting a barrier is probably a factor in between 8% and 16% of motorcycle deaths.”

His comments followed an investigation by Dr Joanne Hill, senior researcher at the European Road Assessment Programme. Morris said: “Joanne Hill’s study is a stark reminder that barriers can be lethal to riders.”

New safety standards require metal support posts to be covered but the rules apply only to newly installed barriers. Some highways authorities have installed old-style barriers which could last years in the months leading up to the rule changeover.
If you know of newly installed old-style barriers with dangerous exposed metal support posts, let us know: steve.farrell@emap.com

See MCN, March 28 2007, for a full investigation.