Skip to main content

Call for bike safe barriers

The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) in the UK is calling on the government to redesign crash barriers to make them more motorcycle-friendly. While crash barriers have saved the lives of thousands of drivers, hitting a crash barrier is a factor in eight to sixteen per cent of rider deaths. When they hit a crash barrier, riders are 15 times more likely to be killed than car occupants. In a crash, barrier support posts can worsen injuries by five times.
July 31, 2012 Read time: 1 min
RSSThe 5125 Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) in the UK is calling on the government to redesign crash barriers to make them more motorcycle-friendly. While crash barriers have saved the lives of thousands of drivers, hitting a crash barrier is a factor in eight to sixteen per cent of rider deaths. When they hit a crash barrier, riders are 15 times more likely to be killed than car occupants. In a crash, barrier support posts can worsen injuries by five times.

“Roads in general and crash barriers in particular are largely designed with four or more wheels in mind. The needs of more vulnerable motorcyclists must become a priority,” said IAM chairman, Alistair Cheyne, OBE. “Existing standards and guidelines for road infrastructure – and barriers in particular – must be changed so they take proper account of motorcyclists.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • IRF Executives Talks: shaping the future of Intelligent transportation
    August 29, 2024
    Technological advances for the intelligent transportation sector are developing at incredible speed globally. For many leaders in the sector, one of the biggest challenges is how they should use new technology to shape the future of intelligent transportation. SWARCO chief executive, Michael Schuch, put forward his ideas in conversation with IRF Director General Susanna Zammataro ahead of the IRF World Congress in Istanbul in October.
  • Road safety drive for the UK
    August 21, 2023
    A road safety drive for the UK could cut casualties
  • Safety barriers deliver valuable road user protection
    February 14, 2012
    Safety barriers provide an invaluable service for all road users, Mike Woof reports The safety barrier market is a key one for the highway sector, with systems providing valuable protection for all categories of road users. The importance of passive protective devices such as safety barriers can often be overlooked by the road user but is well-understood by highway designers. Redirecting an errant vehicle back into the roadway and preventing it from crossing into traffic flowing in the other direction or fr
  • Better road safety is the aim of a new study
    January 21, 2013
    A new study is calling for a more standardised approach for estimating the benefits of road safety initiatives. The aim of this is to save lives through the use of better road safety indicators. There is a clear need too. Almost 1.3 million people die in road crashes every year, and between 20 and 50 million are injured. Road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among young people between 15 and 29 years of age. Road crashes cost countries around 1-3% of their GDP. In the face of these facts, the