Different types of Road Crash Barriers

Introduction

As road technology gets more and more advanced, highways are being designed to make your travel faster, thereby significantly reducing travel time. However, in recent years, these very highways have emerged as major accident hot spots with hundreds of commuters having died due to crashes from drunken driving, overspeeding, etc.

In India, the situation is particularly grim with the country reporting as many as 4,67,044 accidents in 2018. In fact, according to a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), India has only 1% of the world’s total vehicles but accounts for at least 6% of the road accidents of the world.

Therefore, it is important that highway authorities should make all the necessary arrangements to make travelling safer. One way to ensure the safety of both pedestrians and vehicles and streamline traffic is to install crash barriers. 

These are essentially barricades that demarcate carriageways on roads. They can be installed on the sides of the roads to separate pedestrians from vehicles and also in the middle of the road to separate traffic. The main benefits of installing road crash barriers include:

1.     Increased safety on roads for both vehicles and pedestrians

2.     Need for a lesser amount of maintenance as compared to other types of equipment

3.     Streamline traffic thereby reducing the chances of traffic congestion

Types of Crash barriers

There are various types of plastic road crash barriers available in the market, which are easy to install and require less maintenance than concrete road barriers. Here are the different types of crash barriers available based on the utility they serve:

Roadside Barriers

These are primarily installed on the side of roads or in the middle of the road to separate two carriageways. Since roads are often prone to traffic diversion and route changes, these barriers are perfect as they can be easily dismantled and put back together at a different place.

Workzone Barriers

Workzone barriers are best for cordoning off a particular portion of a road where construction, repair or maintenance work is being undertaken. Such barriers demarcate the work area, ensuring the smooth movement of traffic on the rest of the road.

Rigid Barriers

Rigid barriers are basically road dividers made out of concrete or metal. Since they are strong, they can withstand multiple impacts without the need for any repair. However, being made out of concrete, they have very little movement and flexibility. Therefore, they cannot be moved and are not great for roads that may see frequent road diversions.

Semi-Rigid Barriers

Semi-rigid barriers are road safety barriers that are made out of steel beams rather than metal or concrete. They are a little more flexible than rigid barriers but are less stable.

Flexible Barriers

These barriers are usually made up of plastic and can include a range of barriers, such as orange cones, low profile barriers, speed breakers, etc. They are easy to install and dismantle depending on traffic needs. They are also far cheaper than concrete road barriers, thereby making them the perfect choice for road design.

Can crash barriers be made of polymers?

Crash barriers can be made of polymers, thereby making them not only extra robust but also cheaper. High-density polymers add an extra layer of protection to guard barriers making them strong and helping them to withstand high-impact accidents.

How crash barriers can provide road safety?

Crash barriers are an effective way to ensure road safety, traffic control and reduce road fatality. They can withstand high impact accidents and are therefore perfect for highways, expressways, and city roads, where incidents of drunken driving and accidents due to lack of seat belt safety have been reported with regularity. 

Studies show that in India, since the year 2000, there have been 81,49,079 accidents, 24,24,251 deaths, and 88,60,070 injuries. According to the World Road Statistics for 2018, India holds the top position among 199 countries when it comes to the total number of fatal road accidents. If we study the World Health Organisation’s Global Report on Road Safety, we find that India accounts for almost 11 per cent of road deaths across the globe.

Source – https://www.deccanherald.com/specials/insight/keeping-people-safe-on-india-s-killer-roads-886704.html 

Therefore, urban transport system designers today are increasingly turning towards road safety barriers. However, apart from preventing accidents, they can also help in traffic control by acting as speed breakers. Other road safety equipment includes convex mirrors, orange cones, barricade tapes, etc. Road safety equipment can also demarcate areas to denote ongoing construction or repair work.

The Sheetal Group is a leading supplier and manufacturer of road safety products, such as parking barriers, speed breakers, traffic cones, and wheel stoppers. All these are unique product offerings designed to provide optimal safety along with the flexibility of installing and dismantling them.

We are a CRISIL rated company and hold ISO 9001:2015, CE, OHSAS 180001, ISO 14001: 2015, ISI (BIS), MSME & NSIC certification. Our adherence to offering the best of the best to our clients has prompted us to step into the extremely demanding road safety arena.

For instance, our parking barriers are perfect for all sorts of residential and commercial parking areas, while traffic cones can be best utilized in some of the major thoroughfares in the city to control and streamline traffic. Our products boast of high quality and superior engineering.