Motorway barriers

[usn90]

As a new rider, I’ve recently come to realise how dangerous our motorway/dual carriageway barriers are to motorcyclists, to the point I can’t fathom how they pass safety standards?

Your either sliding underneath them into the path of vehicles travelling in the opposite direction, or your getting decapitated by its steel supports, surely all it would need is another steel plate along the bottom

[markymarkthree]

Yea, and trees are pretty hard as well.

I don't think motorcycling is for you if you are thinking like this already.

[usn90]

markymarkthree said:

Yea, and trees are pretty hard as well.

I don't think motorcycling is for you if you are thinking like this already.

I know bikes are dangerous, but it just seems odd to me that something designed for safety is anything but, especially when the remedy seems really simple

[Freakuk]

You haven't mentioned the barriers that are effectively taught wires, they'd split you in two I would imagine if you're doing motorway speeds.

[black-k1]

I know that a number of European countries (including Spain) have addressed this very concern by doubling up on the horizontal elements of barriers so there is no space for a motorcyclist to slide underneath. It obviously also stops the potential impact with the vertical pole.

[usn90]

black-k1 said:

I know that a number of European countries (including Spain) have addressed this very concern by doubling up on the horizontal elements of barriers so there is no space for a motorcyclist to slide underneath. It obviously also stops the potential impact with the vertical pole.

Yes this is what I was referring to, seems a simple
Enough fix.

[black-k1]

usn90 said:

black-k1 said:

I know that a number of European countries (including Spain) have addressed this very concern by doubling up on the horizontal elements of barriers so there is no space for a motorcyclist to slide underneath. It obviously also stops the potential impact with the vertical pole.

Yes this is what I was referring to, seems a simple
Enough fix.

As with most things government, it's a cost vs. benefit calculation and, being blunt, I suspect motorcyclists are not important enough to justify the cost of adding many extra miles of barrier.

[Altitude]

This seems to be one of those things that people always talk about but never actually happens. I've never once heard of a biker going under the barriers onto the other side, nor being killed by the cable barriers.

They do tend to get run over by other vehicles after falling off though. I'd be far more concerned about that.

[Nexus Icon]

A friend was killed when he low-sided, and slid along the tarmac before hitting the post of a Give Way sign. Such a meaningless way to go out.

[Vasco]

usn90 said:

As a new rider, I’ve recently come to realise how dangerous our motorway/dual carriageway barriers are to motorcyclists, to the point I can’t fathom how they pass safety standards?

Your either sliding underneath them into the path of vehicles travelling in the opposite direction, or your getting decapitated by its steel supports, surely all it would need is another steel plate along the bottom

It's a subtle way of reducing those riders who cause trouble for other people.......

[airsafari87]

Oooh goodie. A new thing to be frightened of.

[zzrman]

usn90 said:

I know bikes are dangerous

Bikes are not dangerous. You can park them anywhere and they will not attack old ladies, children or animals.

It´s the monkey sitting on it who is potentially dangerous.

[littleredrooster]

Freakuk said:

You haven't mentioned the barriers that are effectively taught wires..

I hope they learn quickly...

I'm fairly sure that the tensioned wires were outlawed about twenty years ago because they were effectively cheese-cutters for motorcyclists and small sports cars. Some still survive - I saw some fairly recently but can't remember where.

[MrGman]

My memory is very shady here but there’s a video online somewhere of a woman (?) coming off in the outside lane and as she comes off her arms goes through the gap and hits a upright post causing a huge whiplash on her arm, her arm looks like it stretches about 2 foot!! Not nice.

Life’s dangerous, bikes more so but we all know the risks and I like riding so just weigh up your own risks and do what you’re comfortable with!

[MrGman]

Not quite as I remembered but here we go….

https://youtu.be/iL5oOV_glqk?si=UZu9cny_shHABCLB

[Rubin215]

littleredrooster said:

Freakuk said:

You haven't mentioned the barriers that are effectively taught wires..

I hope they learn quickly...

I'm fairly sure that the tensioned wires were outlawed about twenty years ago because they were effectively cheese-cutters for motorcyclists and small sports cars. Some still survive - I saw some fairly recently but can't remember where.

Loads of these in Scotland, Bridon Wire-Rope Barrier if I remember correctly; much cheaper to install because only a few of the posts were solidly fixed in the ground and when damaged it was only the posts that were replaced and not the wire rope itself.

When I was in the fire brigade we were taught how to remove the tension from them in case a vehicle was entangled and needed to be moved, it was basically undoing an adjuster with two big stilsons and hoping it didn't whiplash anyone when it came off the end of the thread.

I've seen artics run right over the top of them into the oncoming traffic, a campervan body completely removed from the chassis and a biker more or less split in half although he had hit one of the uprights rather than the wire itself so would have been potted heid anyway no matter what the barrier was.

Totally ste design.

[BigGingerBob]

Bike Guard is a thing, usually found on corners and roundabouts. Has to be spec'd by the client and isn't usually put in as it's an extra cost. Lots of it around Plymouth installed by yours truly.
Image below from Google Maps of some of my handiwork. Not yet finished obviously and the footpath tarmac will raise floor level a bit.



It can be a bit of an arseache to install. If you're interested, it comes in 255 and 355mm widths, 255 shown there!

[Bob_Defly]

MrGman said:

Not quite as I remembered but here we go….

https://youtu.be/iL5oOV_glqk?si=UZu9cny_shHABCLB

Frickin' squids. She was very lucky not to lose that arm.

[airsafari87]

Bob_Defly said:

Frickin' squids. She was very lucky not to lose that arm.

Squids??

[Freakuk]

airsafari87 said:

Bob_Defly said:

Frickin' squids. She was very lucky not to lose that arm.

Squids??

It's a phrase used to describe bikers as body parts.

Very lucky, she would have faired a hell of a lot better if she had been wearing appropriate gear on a bike, maybe still dislocated her arm etc bt not of the cuts/bruises.