Bloke in Tasmania wiped out by WRB

[graemec]

ALL barrier systems are designed with trucks in mind 1st then cars and lastly and i do mean right down the list bikes.
WRB and all other cross median barrier design is a huge factor in road design as it weights very heavily in the risk multiplier, when it comes to
an over all scoring on how "safe" a rd is. I HATE WRB and have monumental arguments with my boss about this.
I believe that all Rd users should be considered equally but that is not going to happen.

As i mentioned i work for a company that is VERY heavily involved with rd safety for all main rd's departments in Au. WRB recently was changed from a 4 to 1 in our risk scoring matrix, (4 was worst 1 is best for cross median protection) based on, you guessed it trucks. Simple fact is that its a financial / reducer of the possible amounts of lives to be saved if a truck vs car vs bike was to cross the median or leave the carriageway.
A case of the one vs the many and theres not a whole lot we can do until it gets ALOT more bad press.
So if you want something to happen the only way its going to happen is for ALL of us who ride to write.
We are a minority but there a quite a few powerful minorities with large voices. Its our job to become one.

http://www.mccofnsw.org.au/a/137.html" target="_blank" target="_blank"
Link the Motorcycle Council of NSW statement on barriers

http://www.spec-net.com.au/company/brifen.htm" target="_blank" target="_blank"
The company that makes the WRB used in Au

[mick_dundee]

Graeme, has there been any kinds of tests with these things and trucks? Have seen footage of what they do to a car from MUARC, I can't see these things doing shit for a truck at any speed, too high a centre of gravity, ditto a bus, they'll just roll right over it...

[robracer]

Graeme, has there been any kinds of tests with these things and trucks? Have seen footage of what they do to a car from MUARC, I can't see these things doing shit for a truck at any speed, too high a centre of gravity, ditto a bus, they'll just roll right over it...

mmmm had not thought of that ...a B double on the Pacific Highway doing 120KPH ..... saw heaps of trucks speeding over the holiday period between Sydney & Coffs Harbour + every new section of highway & bypass that has gone in has this type of barrier

[graemec]

Yeah they do actually work on singles up to about the 50 tonne mark, i've seen footage which was actually very impressive. As for B Doubles i would be very surprised if anything stopped one of them. Its proven they work on cars with much less intrusion into the cab area, around the 60 % less mark.

The only thing that really works for a bike is no barrier and as much of a hard shoulder as possible. Increasing the hard shoulder width out to greater than 1.5 mtrs reduces accidents by up to 40%. Having as large a distance as possible to the 1st impact point is the best solution for most situations as 80% of runoffs don't get further out than 9mtrs. We measure rd side severity along 0 to 5, 5 to 10, and 10 to 15 mtrs.
Cross median head-on is rated a 1 (minimal risk) if its a 10mtr median or greater, if their not thats when they start wopping in WRB etc.
Alot of the thinking is geared towards reducing impacts from cars and trucks that have lost control as they cause the most damage to the greater amount of lives.
As a rider i HATE WRB but if i was in a car with my kids my choice would be WRB, Jersey kerb then Armco.
As a rider its really a moot point what you hit. Personally i would rather roll along a big shoulder than hit and get pushed back into traffic by a massive slab of concrete or run headlong into a C section that has been left exposed because it was put in backwards (surprising what percentage of that there is) last would be getting decapitated by WRB.

As a footnote to all this, approx 75% of motorway / dual carriageway accidents are caused by tailgating so the best thing any of us can do is to keep your safety gap and don't let ANYTHING get to close up your arse!


Stay Safe

[robracer]

Thats excelent information graeme
What is Jersey Knob?

[Trunks]

I live in Devonport and passed by where this happened yesterday. I'm pretty sure he just lost control it was smack bang in the middle of a straight. It was a windy day are the road is very close to the beach it might have caught him out. The wire barrier is right on the side of the road even if you had a moment you would be lucky to miss it. Its pretty scary when you think about them and realise haw many of the WRB we have here and just how close to the side of the road they are. It's like the saying goes it's not speed that kills you but the sudden stops.

[aardvark]

What is Jersey Knob?

[robracer]

Hope its not a monkey attached to that

[craig]

yep a fair skinned version of monkey wearing a watch

[aardvark]

Hope its not a monkey attached to that

No, it's a Jersey.

[robracer]

Now that the typo is sorted so whats a jersey Kerb graeme?

[ZX-10R_04]

Another accident here today this time on Launceston's southern outlet involving a log truck & a ZX-7R the rider is in stable condition with leg injuries & the pillion walked away safe

[robracer]

Bugga .....hope he has a speedy recovery

[graemec]

Damn hopes he is better and riding again soon. Lucky bloody pillion!

Jersey Kerb, when you hit it you tend to slide, though its bloody inflexible stuff!
Of passing interest to you though might be the fact we are at most risk in intersections 75% greater risk than in mid block accidents.
Mid block is between intersections on the rd itself, especially from being punted up the bum end or getting run into as we turn across traffic.
Our rates of damage are far greater that cars in this regard their figures are actually going down where as bikes are climbing

Stay Safe & alert

[Ratmick]

...the wire rope design has been introduced because it is cheaper not because it is safer.... at the end of the day its no good for bikes

It's $150,000 per kilometre, not that cheap I would have thought .

Mick