IAM RoadSmart has launched a petition called ‘Safer Barriers for Safer Roads’, urging Highways Authorities across the UK to eliminate wire rope crash barriers from the road network by the end of the decade.
A road safety charity says there are still 143 miles (230km) of cable barriers on motorways and across England’s wider road network, according to a Parliamentary answer from February. Similar barriers can also be found in Wales and Scotland, while in Northern Ireland they’re currently being taken out. Often called “cheese cutters” by campaigners, these barriers use tensioned steel wire ropes supported by upright posts to stop vehicles from crossing into oncoming lanes. However, rider groups have long argued they can be dangerous for motorcyclists in a crash.
“Motorcyclists have long been calling for these dangerous cable barriers to be removed, and yet across England, almost 150 miles of wire rope remain,” said IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Standards Nicholas Lyes. “We are calling on the Government to remove and replace them with a Motorcyclist Protection System (MPS) which includes protected posts.
“In addition, whenever a barrier is installed, the distance from the road should be as large as possible to allow for evasive manoeuvres and maximum emergency braking in the event of a collision which might reduce the force of the collision impact with the barrier.”
According to IAM RoadSmart, research from 2014 to 2018 found that 76% of motorcycle-to-barrier crashes led to riders being killed or seriously injured (KSI), compared to just 16% for non-motorcycle barrier crashes. It also showed that motorcycles are 33 times more likely than cars to be involved in a fatal single-vehicle barrier collision.
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