THE DEVELOPMENT, APPLICATION AND FIELD EXPERIENCE OF HIGHWAY CRASH CUSHIONS (IMPACT ATTENUATORS) IN THE UNITED STATES

In 1966 the annual fatality rate for traffic accidents in the United States had reached 50000. Approximately 40% of the accidents were single car accidents and the majority of the fatal accidents occurred when the errant vehicles struck fixed objects located within 30 feet (9 meters) of the roadway. It was concluded that fixed objects must be shielded by either the use of guardrails or impact attenuators. Many different types of attenuators were conceived. Two types emerged as being practical; the inertial barrier type and the compression type. There are presently two inertial barrier systems and six compression types in use. The compression types generally redirect vehicles impacting on their sides and in most instances are reusable even after being impacted head-on. Attenuators are used to protect median barrier terminals, guardrail ends, utility poles, trees, bridge abutments, gore noses, and other fixed objects. Records while subjective in nature, indicate that since the first use of attenuators as many as 10000 lives may have been saved and as many as 25000 serious injuries prevented. (Author/TRRL)

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Papers from the 9th IRF World Meeting, Roads Into the Future--Road Design and Safety--TS3, held in Stockholm, June 1-5, 1981.
• Corporate Authors:

  Svenska Vaegfoereningens Foerlags AB

  P.O. Box 27115
  S-102 52 Stockholm,   Sweden 

  Svenska Vaegfoereningens Foerlags AB

  P.O. Box 27115
  S-102 52 Stockholm,   Sweden 

  Svenska Vaegfoereningens Foerlags AB

  P.O. Box 27115
  S-102 52 Stockholm,   Sweden 
• Authors:
  • Young, B
• Publication Date: 1981

Media Info

• Features: Photos;
• Pagination: p. 391-404
• Serial:
  • Publication of: Svenska Vaegfoereningen Foerlags AB
  • Publisher: Svenska Vaegfoereningens Foerlags AB

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Applications; Barriers (Roads); Compression; Conferences; Crash cushions; Crash rates; Crashes; Design; Development; Drums (Containers); Evaluation and assessment; Fatalities; Field tests; Guardrails; Injury severity; Performance; Prevention; Safety; Structural design
• Uncontrolled Terms: Application (Use); Barriers; Field performance
• Geographic Terms: United States
• ITRD Terms: 1612: Accident rate; 1631: Collision; 8525: Conference; 9013: Development; 9020: Evaluation (assessment); 6226: In situ; 1623: Severity (accid, injury); 8122: USA; 9084: Use
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; I85: Safety Devices used in Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00345589
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 27 1982 12:00AM