mujambee
24th February 2009, 05:45
I've spent some time reading here in the cheesecutter campaing and just want to drop my thougths on this, in the hope that I can help you. First of all I must say I'm no part of any group here in Spain (don't quite agree with how things are being done), but can offer my help in whatever I can do from here.
Anyhow, here in Spain there have been a lot of action during the last 3/4 years, and we are starting to see some advance. Notice that there are nothing like the cheescutters on use here, our campaing is for the protection of W shaped and, to a lesser extent, concrete barriers.
First step was the design an universal use of a campaign logo:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/169/387045565_87601a54e7.jpg?v=0
This has been widely used in stickers, websites, t-shirts (almost any group/club/website that creates t-shirts here attaches the logo somewhere on it). This is a friend's truck:
http://www.enake.net/fotos/varios/Camionero_003.jpg
November 2006 saw the first of the yearly marches on Madrid
http://motofan.taniz.org/pingu/10N/10N_r009.jpg
Nov 2008:
http://img.blogdeblogs.com/highmotor/uploads/2008/11/0911-manifestacion1.jpg
Right now you can see protected barriers installed on new roads. Not every road gets its protection, but at least they are covering the most dangerous places.
http://www.portalmotos.com/www/images/CONTENIDOS/reportajes/Seguridad_Vial/guardarrail_Fomento.jpg
As you can see, the lower W beam is attached only to the upper one by means of a deformable plate. When a body hits the lower beam, it absorbes kinetic energy by permanent deformation, thus avoiding a spring effect that would send the rider back to the road.
This is far safer than a concrete barrier, that won't absorbe any of the impact so all energy goes into crushing your bones.
But what we got here is nothing compared to Portugal, where all new roads (and most old) have brand new protections:
http://www.motos.ws/personales/Fotografias/DSC01012.jpg
Notice they have protected even the inside of the road.
Anyhow, here in Spain there have been a lot of action during the last 3/4 years, and we are starting to see some advance. Notice that there are nothing like the cheescutters on use here, our campaing is for the protection of W shaped and, to a lesser extent, concrete barriers.
First step was the design an universal use of a campaign logo:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/169/387045565_87601a54e7.jpg?v=0
This has been widely used in stickers, websites, t-shirts (almost any group/club/website that creates t-shirts here attaches the logo somewhere on it). This is a friend's truck:
http://www.enake.net/fotos/varios/Camionero_003.jpg
November 2006 saw the first of the yearly marches on Madrid
http://motofan.taniz.org/pingu/10N/10N_r009.jpg
Nov 2008:
http://img.blogdeblogs.com/highmotor/uploads/2008/11/0911-manifestacion1.jpg
Right now you can see protected barriers installed on new roads. Not every road gets its protection, but at least they are covering the most dangerous places.
http://www.portalmotos.com/www/images/CONTENIDOS/reportajes/Seguridad_Vial/guardarrail_Fomento.jpg
As you can see, the lower W beam is attached only to the upper one by means of a deformable plate. When a body hits the lower beam, it absorbes kinetic energy by permanent deformation, thus avoiding a spring effect that would send the rider back to the road.
This is far safer than a concrete barrier, that won't absorbe any of the impact so all energy goes into crushing your bones.
But what we got here is nothing compared to Portugal, where all new roads (and most old) have brand new protections:
http://www.motos.ws/personales/Fotografias/DSC01012.jpg
Notice they have protected even the inside of the road.