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Safety

Experience in other countries and 10 years of use along the M25 here in the UK has proved that concrete step barrier is safer than steel. Accidents against concrete step barrier installed on the M25 and elsewhere have resulted in no deaths.

 

The step barrier is specifically designed to limit minor vehicle contact to the base of the barrier and the vehicle tyres. Such slight impact will, in most cases, allow the vehicle to continue on its journey undamaged.

Vehicle crash tests approved by the government's Highways Agency demonstrate that it can successfully contain all vehicles including 4x4s, pickup trucks and light vans up to 13.5 tonnes, which includes most buses and coaches.

 

Drivers travelling alongside concrete step barrier are more aware of traffic conditions, and many drivers reduce their speed.

 

Concrete Step Barrier reduces a driver's ability to "rubberneck" incidents in the opposite carriageway. Because the concrete step barrier is solid, headlamp glare coming towards you, particularly when it is raining, is reduced.

 

Accidents to workers and to vehicles in road works should also be reduced. As concrete step barrier requires no maintenance, the need for lane closures is reduced significantly. This also increases safety for repair teams who are currently at risk working alongside dangerous moving traffic.

 

The Vehicle Design Group at Arup, one of the world's leading consulting engineers, has carried out computer simulations to investigate the potential for injury from collisions with roadside crash barriers.

 

The animation you can see shows a small car hitting the Concrete Step Barrier at an angle of 20 degrees and at a speed of 100 kilometres an hour. As the front wheel of the vehicle hits the Step barrier the car is deflected along the barrier before being redirected onto the carriageway.

The passenger’s head and chest then hit the interior of the car before bouncing off and returning to a normal position. The collision with the interior is not serious when it is compared to European car crash tests.