The Role of Barriers in Preventing Road Accidents
Road barriers are among the greatest inventions for keeping us safe while driving. They serve multiple purposes, but accident prevention and minimization are where they shine; here are a few reasons why.
Traffic Control/Flow
Linemarking paint and barrier delineators, act as the ideal traffic controller and traffic flow manager. Barriers act as guides that direct traffic in a safe manner, whether it be at an interchange, when merging onto a freeway, or something similar.
This guidance prevents drivers from deliberately or accidentally driving in a direction that they aren’t meant to, therefore potentially causing an accident.
Improved Visibility
In many cases, accidents are caused by a lack of visibility, whether that be driving in the wrong lane because you didn’t know it wasn’t for you, or driving into an area you aren’t meant to be in, such as a work site.
Barriers can act like walls, stopping your car in its tracks before it can reach a location that could put you or pedestrians in danger.
Prevent Car Intrusions
Car intrusions are another problem that barriers prevent. In many cities, public plazas or roads with high amounts of foot traffic aren’t accessible to most cars, except for police, delivery drivers, etc.
Barriers act as a way to show this, and to let drivers know that this area is inaccessible to them. While bollards are far more common for smaller streets, barriers are often used when blocking off large stretches of road.
Crash Minimization
In the instance of an accident, barriers are on the frontline of ensuring that the crash doesn’t get worse for either the driver involved, or the other cars on the road. For instance, a car colliding with a barrier will cause far less overall damage than said car barreling into oncoming traffic.
This is also sometimes a tactic for drivers caught on ice and who end up losing control of their vehicle. If they can, directing the car into a barricade will not only bring it to a stop, but also get the car out of the way of other drivers.
Prevent Wrong-Way Driving
Wrong-way driving is also a far more common issue than many people think. Not necessarily on freeways where it is obvious, but rather at large intersections where it can sometimes be difficult to see which lanes you can turn into, especially if you don’t know the area.
They become even more useful in this case if you are driving in a country that drives on the opposite side of where you are from. Once again, if you aren’t accustomed to this, it is very easy to make a mistake and drive up or down the wrong side of the road.
Increased Driver Awareness
Barriers also play a psychological role. As they are often used on busier roads and roads where cars are driving at faster speeds, you instinctively become more aware of your surroundings and improve your focus on the road.
This is why you will almost always see them on freeways, but hardly ever in residential areas, because, for the latter, you should be driving slower anyway, and it is easier to keep control of your vehicle.
Absorb Impact Energy
While this is not necessarily a way barriers prevent accidents, it is how they further minimize the damage an accident can cause. Road barriers are designed to absorb and spread impact energy, lessening the amount of impact the occupants of the car have to absorb.
Depending on the speed at which the car hits the barrier, this can drastically minimize the amount of harm caused to the occupants, and can lessen the injuries, especially to the head and spine.
Reduce Rollover Risk
Another problem that many types of barriers solve is that of rollovers. As rollovers can cause substantial harm to drivers, being able to prevent them is a must, and certain barrier designs allow this.
While, in the worst-case scenarios, they can’t prevent the initial flip, they can stop the car from continuously rolling, potentially rolling into an even more dangerous area, such as down a hill, into water, etc.
Infrastructure Protection
Barriers are also needed to protect crucial infrastructure that lines roads. All over the world, everything from bridges to electrical or water hubs can be found right next to roads, and the last thing you want is for someone to accidentally drive into them, as the repercussions can be severe and costly.
Once again, barriers act as walls and stop cars from hitting and damaging infrastructure, potentially stopping explosions, floods, etc.
High-Risk Road Safety
Finally, barriers are crucial in high-risk driving areas. Whether you are driving on a mountain road or next to the sea, the only thing stopping your car from going off the edge is a road barrier.
Considering that even the slightest mistake or lapse in judgment can cause your car to veer off the road, it is crucial that a barrier is in place to stop it; otherwise, a small mistake can lead to a fatal accident.
Image source: https://unsplash.com/photos/city-bridge-at-night-with-light-trails-gWyX-oKHdww