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.

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