Cable barriers

[YamaGeezer]

Here in good 'ol South Carolina, our friendly politicians decided concrete barriers in the medians of our Interstate highways were just too expensive. Maybe they're right. But this past weekend, I witnessed something that scared the heck out of me:

 

Going down I-26 towards Asheville, NC, I saw a car change lanes with a motorcycle beside him. Motorcycle was likely in his blind spot, and to his credit, the driver of the car swerved back into the right-hand lane when he finally saw the bike.

 

Unfortunately, the bike was forced into the grass median for a distance. The biker did a good job of keeping the bike under control, slowing down quickly and getting back onto the pavement. We were all on our brakes hard to give him time to recover. What was really scary was how close he came to the cable barrier in the median!

 

If you've never seen these cable barriers, they're attached to "H" shaped steel or iron posts, 2 or 3 feet tall and have sharp edges and sharp 90 degree angles. It looks like half inch cable, but I'm not sure. Should a biker be forced into one of these, his chances of survival would be very small. (Not to say that running into a concrete barrier would be any better, but at least a person wouldn't be torn apart by sharp steel.)

 

Not sure what can be done about the barriers, so just take this as a friendly reminder to be very careful on the highways that have them. NEVER ride beside a car for any longer than you have to. Stay as far from these cable barriers as possible when you can.

 

I sure would have hated to see the accident that almost happened right in front of me. It's a shame that something our taxes paid to put on our highways for safety is particularly unsafe for us on motorcycles.

[Aussie Annie]

We call them "egg slicers" over here and our motorcycle safety people are always working to get rid of them

[silverdeer0454]

The state of Washington had cement barriers in the medians on I-5 for years. Then they went to cable barriers. Recently because of the numbers of vehicles that blew thru those cable barriers and entered opposite direction the state has decided to go back to cement barriers.

 

Why is WSDOT installing concrete median barrier along northbound I-5 in Marysville?

In July 2007, WSDOT, the Washington State Patrol and independent experts completed a detailed review of statewide cable median barrier and cross-median collisions on I-5 in Marysville at the request of Governor Gregoire. The report noted a higher-than-average number of crossover collisions on I-5 in Marysville, for reasons not completely understood by safety specialists. As a result, the report recommended installing concrete barrier along northbound I-5 in Marysville to provide the highest possible level of protection against southbound drivers crossing the median and entering northbound lanes.

 

Though concrete barrier will lower the risk that southbound drivers will cross into the northbound lanes, it will create a new risk to northbound drivers. Concrete barrier will increase the risk that drivers who run off the freeway will rebound off of the barrier into other vehicles. Drivers who hit the concrete barrier will also experience a significantly higher force of impact than those who hit cable median barrier.

The End Result

We will improve driver safety along this stretch of I-5 in Marysville by installing concrete barrier along the northbound lanes and widening the shoulders to current standards. We will also remove existing earth mounds at the base of bridge columns in the project area and replace them with barrier.

 

Drivers will also benefit from new electronic message signs, traffic cameras, and traffic sensors along I-5 in Marysville.

 

Maybe your state needs to review this report.

 

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/CableBarrier/Report2007.htm

[Dano]

We've got them all over here in Indiana, I truly dread the day when a motorcyclist ends up hitting one of these. They are definately "egg-slicers".

[Bummer]

I called 'em Biker Slicers when I filed my complaints with Governor Daniels and the Indiana DOT. Of course, I don't expect anything but a pat on the head and detailed directions as to how I can fold and where I can put my concerns, but I tried.

[RandyR]

If you get into the median at high speed, chances are you're going to be toast, anyway you slice it...

[gibvel]

If you get into the median at high speed, chances are you're going to be toast, anyway you slice it...

Pun intended?

[BEER30]

Last year in route to the Int. Rally , wife and I were in NC . Only 30 minutes on I-95 when a cage came onto the interstate forcing 2 bikers into the center median . One biker made it to a safe stop , other made it to his grave . All this happened just 15 minutes ahead of us . It wasn't a pleasant site to witness . While listening to the CB , a trucker tried to keep up with the cage which swerved from the on ramp all the way into the inside lane causing the incident (noticed I did not call it an accident ?) . The truckers tried to keep up with that killer cager by radio relay until the cage exited the interstate . Don't know if they ever caught the cager , but if he wasn't caught , I hope this haunts him for eternity !

Other info. that I heard was that the 2 bikers skidded onto the grass . Ones stopped short of hitting the cables , while the other ran into the cables head first and caught one of the post which obviously broke his neck .

 

I'd rather see a deep trench dug in the median rather than those post and cables .

 

BEER30

[Bummer]

I got my answer back from the Governor's office already. Biker Slicers are completely safe. Their use will be more than doubled in Indiana in the immediate future.

[juggler]

I got my answer back from the Governor's office already. Biker Slicers are completely safe. Their use will be more than doubled in Indiana in the immediate future.

 

Double check at the AMA website. I think they are working on lobbing efforts to ban these.

[BEER30]

I got my answer back from the Governor's office already. Biker Slicers are completely safe. Their use will be more than doubled in Indiana in the immediate future.

Great , Now let's have a Politician to test them out to be sure they are extremely safe for the Public ! (Not to be constued as a Political post)

 

BEER30

[slick97spirit]

They put those up in Southeast Missouri last year. The big difference here is that they have 4 strands on break away posts. The other big difference is that they didn't put them in the middle of the median. They put them 10 feet from the edge of the left lane. The first biker that hits one of those, they'll be picking him up in quarters.

[midnightventure]

If you get into the median at high speed, chances are you're going to be toast, anyway you slice it...

I believe that if you go down at high speed that as long as you don't hit anything solid that you have a good chance of surviving.

[CrazyHorse]

Have them in Illinois now also call them egg slicers.

[Midrsv]

They installed the 4-cable barrier around New Circle Rd, the expressway loop around Lexington. They placed it about 6 feet off the inner loop pavement. While it has prevented a few cars from crossing the median into oncoming traffic, it scares me to ride in the left lane of the inner loop. Before if you got forced off the pavement you may stand a chance of "riding it out" and getting back on the road. With only 5 or 6 feet of manuvering room you don't stand a chance. I guess we are just part of the statistics. Sacrifice a few bikers to save a few head-on collisions.

 

DT

[Bummer]

Double check at the AMA website. I think they are working on lobbing efforts to ban these.

I looked, but couldn't find anything. I checked the MRF site and came up empty there also.

[gibvel]

Why don't they just wrap the dad blamed things with something more solid, like a rubber, plastic or aluminum box or panel that would increase the surface area and keep it from having a "slicing" effect.. That way they could still perform about the same way and would, hopefully, protect cyclists. Just a thought.

[CrazyHorse]

They work great for cars and trucks actually saw a car hit one once which might have hit me had it not been there but I agree for motorcycles I dont like them at all or those metal reflectors embedded in the road that come out and are now a very hazardous heavy object.

[Guest wrench]

They have recently installed more on I-65 between Elizabethtown and Louisville and around I-265/Snyder Frwy. and they placed them on the edge of the left-hand emergency lane. This makes it kinda tight, not leaving much room for error if you're on that side of the road, only about 8-10 ft. I guess they are a pain to mow around if they are in the grassy median.