Those cheesecutter/wire median barriers

[Dai]

These things were being put in on the motorways in the UK. I noticed them on the M4.

A biker came off, hit one and lost a leg. Sued the shit out of the government.

All were removed after that.

[sAsLEX]

A biker came off, hit one and lost a leg. Sued the shit out of the government.

regrettably we cant sue in this country really, so the Government is allowed to continue to make stupid decisions

[The Stranger:Me]

What a load of bollocks. There are median barrier systems that do a better job AND aren't such a threat to us. You can be as careful as you like, until some cager runs you into a barrier.
And I have seen the result of a biker hitting armco, there were pieces of flesh smeared over three uprights. Cheesecutters are worse still.
But they are the cheapest system, that's why they're appearing everywhere.
We don't even register on Transits radar.
We're dispensible.

I have seen a car hit a concrete barrier and get tossed back onto his side of the road only to be collected by 3 other cars.

You can argue cost all you like, but the official word is that they wire barriaer are used because they catch and hold a vehicle rather than just throwing back into it's own lane.

Though I must admit, it is a bit alarming to see that they are now placing them on the outside of bends and road edges, and not just for traffic separation.

[Lou Girardin]

Depends on the shrubs used and the mass planting Lou. Those barriers not only worked, they did so at speeds higher than todays motorway speeds. Ever see a car go off the road and get hung up in a Manuka bush? The reason it works is simply that the shrubs bend and absorb the shock. A tree trunk would snap.

Theory is fine, but have you seen the width of most of our medians? We don't have room for metres of shrubbery.
One of the biggest factors in reducing our road toll was the installation of barriers on most motorways and the harbour bridge.

[eliot-ness]

Theory is fine, but have you seen the width of most of our medians? We don't have room for metres of shrubbery.
One of the biggest factors in reducing our road toll was the installation of barriers on most motorways and the harbour bridge.

As I pointed out in the original post. The medians used to be 4metres wide. They were narrowed after the introduction of armco. The effectiveness wasn't theory, it was proved over several years of trials. I have a hedge along the roadside of my property that has stopped a car from head on without significant damage to either. Concrete, wire, or armco would have been a different story I don't dispute the fact that barriers of any sort will save lives. Only that the ones in use at present are not the ideal solution, just the cheapest.

[Deano]

You can argue cost all you like, but the official word is that they wire barriaer are used because they catch and hold a vehicle rather than just throwing back into it's own lane.

That's not what the footage showed - the vehicle was bounced back into the lane by the wire.

[Ixion]

Anyone who's ridden in bush will tell you how effective the right sort of bushs and stuff can be at stopping a bike! But not the sort of pissy shrubs they have (had) on motorway medians here. It needs to be stuff like a quickset hedge. Lots of branches and tendrils all laced together, so when something hits it the impact gets resisted and taken up over a long extent .

Which is the trouble with the cheesecutters. Impact isn't spread and dissipated, it's concentrated on a very small area.

[scumdog]

Any barrier that stops a head-on has to be better than nothing, and anyway harden up you lot, motorcycle riding is MEANT to be dangerous isn't it? Otherwise we'd all be in cars all the time.

[Brett]

The answer is plain.. our bodies our relatively light. If they put a thick plastic cover on it, the sort that is semi flexible not the brittle shit, then anyone who slides into it is A) going to provide much more dampening when someone hits it, and B) is going to stop arms and legs and heads being cut off when sliding halfway through.
A cage would still break the plastic and get held, but bikers would not get as hurt by the impact as with concrete, and would also have their limbs intact...speed dependant.
Would cost piss all.

[SPman]

Lets face it, cars count, motorcycles arent even in the picture! Fact of life!
I dont mind them in the middle quite so much, but on the road verges as well!!! Like Te Kauwhata/Rangariri! FFS, it's like driving down the tunnel of doom!
Now I know what a sheep feels like being drafted!

They,ve got them here in WA, but not many,and only on 4 lane highways with a large median - with a single barrier in the middle - a bit of runoff, at least.

[Lord Derosso]

Having a full fairing, I like solid barriers on very windy days whilst on the motorway in Wellington.

I watched the coverage last night and I have to admit that I really did not like the idea of hitting the new barrier on a bike, though a head on at high speed is a really really bad option. Be interesting to see what happens when someone on a bike finally hits one and I agree its more likely going to be a result of being pushed into one by a sideswipe and therefore no time to react. I think I will keep very left for now.

[WINJA]

What a load of bollocks. There are median barrier systems that do a better job AND aren't such a threat to us. You can be as careful as you like, until some cager runs you into a barrier.
And I have seen the result of a biker hitting armco, there were pieces of flesh smeared over three uprights. Cheesecutters are worse still.
But they are the cheapest system, that's why they're appearing everywhere.
We don't even register on Transits radar.
We're dispensible.

PRICE IS EVERYTHING LOU , THESE ARE CHEAP AND THEY CAN DO MANY MORE K'S OF MOTORWAY FOR THE SAME PRICE ,THIS MAY COME AS A SHOCK BUT EVEN TRANSIT HAS A BUDGET, AS FOR HITTING ARMCO AND GETTING HURT WE'LL DERRRRR WHAT SHOULD THEY DO ,COVER EVERYTHING IN PILLOWS?

[Brett]

hmm...that would be nice tho wouldn't it...kill the benefit, and i am sure they could afford it.

[sunhuntin]

Though I must admit, it is a bit alarming to see that they are now placing them on the outside of bends and road edges, and not just for traffic separation.

can...thats what i meant in my post about it being on the downhill to turakina and the uphill to kaitoke....why have it on the verge? it goes cheesecutter, farm fence and then empty paddock/empty paddock with a steepish hill! its nuts.....

[Wolf]

THATS A SELFISH ATTITUDE THINK OF YOUR FAMILY AND SOMEONE HITTING THEM HEAD ON .LTSA ARE PUTTING THEM ON ONLY THE MOST DANGEROUS AND WELL USED ROADS ONLY, ITS YOUR FAULT IF YOU CANT CHOOSE A SUITABLE TIME AND PLACE TO SPEED OR RIDE LIKE AN IDIOT BOTH OF WHICH I DO BUT YOU GOTTA CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES AND WITHOUT THOSE CHEESE CUTTERS THOSE ROADS WILL STILL BE THE WRONG PLACE TO ACT THE FOOL , AND IF YOU DO HIT IT AND ITS NOT YOUR FAULT ITS JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT AS A MOTORCYCLIST.
IM GLAD LTSA DID SOMETHING , CAUSE ITS BETTER THAN NOTHING AND IF THEY DID NOTHING YOUD STILL COMPLAIN

I have to agree, here.

I hate cheese cutter barricades with a vengeance, they give me the screaming shits - but I suppose that's my cue to back off and ride or drive more safely.

As to being rammed into them: that is my big concern, but I run the risk of being rammed into by another vehicle anywhere else on the road as well and if someone does smash into me, I'm just as likely to be fucked hitting the road at 100km/h with a car on top of me as I am if I hit the cheese cutters.

As a biker, an accepted risk is that some fucker will clean me out - I devote a lot of energy when I'm riding to avoiding that outcome. Cheese cutter territory is merely another area to avoid being hit.

And to avoid being careless.