The Blade is cutting edge in truck mounted attenuator technology

The Blade truck-mounted attenuator from the Verdegro Group has met the highest safety level - Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware. The AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) is the new set of regulations for crash-testing of safety hardware devices that are destined for use on the US National Highway System. It updates and replaces the 20-year old NCHRP Report 350. Verdegro also said that the Blade TMA was also nominated for the 2017 ATSSA innovation award, which took place just after World Hig
April 18, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
The Blade stands up to MASH safety standards
The Blade truck-mounted attenuator from the Verdegro Group has met the highest safety level - Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware. The AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) is the new set of regulations for crash-testing of safety hardware devices that are destined for use on the US National Highway System. It updates and replaces the 20-year old NCHRP Report 350.


8617 Verdegro also said that the Blade TMA was also nominated for the 2017 ATSSA innovation award, which took place just after 3260 World Highways went to press. The 2466 American Traffic Safety Services Association represents the road safety, traffic safety and highway safety industry in the US through legislative advocacy, traffic control safety training and member partnerships.

The MASH safety changes are mainly necessitated by alterations made to vehicles over the past decade. Cars have greatly increased in size, so updated regulations are required to keep occupants safe. For example, the average bumper height on light trucks has risen considerably since 1993, so previous highway safety designs are inadequate.

The new MASH standard sets stricter criteria for truck-mounted attenuators. Bigger and heavier and newer test vehicles must be used during testing. Upper and lower truck weight has to be tested, ballast has to be fixed, and also the arrow board together with the TMA construction must have to be tested. Additionally, offset and offset angel tests are now required in MASH.

This patented BLADE TMA has been full-scale crash-tested according to MASH 2009/2016 at the 2347 Texas Transportation Institute facility. All the ride-down values were within the preferred values.

Verdegro, based in Munnikenheiweg, the Netherlands, said the BLADE TMA will be available for the US market from April.

Road Markings, Barriers & Workzone Protection

Related Content

  • New barriers coming to market worldwide
    July 28, 2015
    European and US manufacturers traditionally hold strong positions in the global market for road safety barrier systems. The strength of the European and US testing systems and processes as well as their respective legislation have helped this position. Both European and US standards for road safety barriers are well understood in other territories and are also accepted in many countries around the globe.
    Read More
  • Balanced Mix Design in the US could revolutionise pavement design and testing
    April 30, 2018
    Roads in the US keep failing so the Federal Highways Authority is proposing a new approach to mix design, but what does this mean for tests and testing? - Kristina Smith reports How do you test an asphalt mix for rutting? In the US, the answer could be any one of several tests, depending on which State you are in: Asphalt Pavement Analyser, Flow Number, Hamburg Wheel Tracking Test, Superpave Shear Test or Triaxial Stress Sweep Test. But that could all change. The Federal Highways Agency (FHWA), part of
    Read More
  • Regulating Kenya’s boda boda business
    July 28, 2015
    Kenya’s many motorcycle taxis have an unenviably poor record for road safety - Shem Oirere writes. A state-owned road safety agency in Kenya is grappling with enforcement of new traffic regulations aimed at reducing the number of road accidents involving two-wheeled motorcycle taxis, popularly known as boda boda. The latest statistics indicate that fatalities relating to these vehicles shot up by 58% during the first four months of 2015. Experts have concurred with a previous study by the World Health Or
    Read More
  • Developments in tolling technology
    February 27, 2012
    Jason Barnes reviews the last few decades and the future of tolling technology. Tolling and charging technology has evolved significantly over the last three decades and that evolution is perhaps best illustrated by reductions in or complete removal of impedances to physical progress. Once, it was customary for a driver to pull up to a barrier, make some form of cash payment to a human operative in a booth, and then wait for the barrier to be raised before proceeding. Humans were eventually complemented and
    Read More

Highlighted Content