New highway dividers.

[patric]

They "deflect" that energy right back into the person who hits it, resulting in higher fatalities and chance of injury.

If you hit it head on, yes.  Otherwise there is still momentum at an oblique angle, greatly dissipated.  Same angle striking a cable; you are brought to a complete stop immediately, where the G-forces are more likely to be lethal.

[sgrizzle]

If you hit it head on, yes.  Otherwise there is still momentum at an oblique angle, greatly dissipated.  Same angle striking a cable; you are brought to a complete stop immediately, where the G-forces are more likely to be lethal.

Not true according to the information I previously posted (which comes from the Feds)

[Breadburner]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/sapulpa-motorcyclist-dies-in-wreck-with-cable-barrier-on-u/article_5a054f0b-8b15-5105-86d8-6a87ababcc9a.html

[patric]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/sapulpa-motorcyclist-dies-in-wreck-with-cable-barrier-on-u/article_5a054f0b-8b15-5105-86d8-6a87ababcc9a.html

Those troopers apparently didnt say if a helmet would have been relevant to his injuries.

[sgrizzle]

Those troopers apparently didnt say if a helmet would have been relevant to his injuries.

Someone on a motorcycle at highway speed without a helmet who leaves to road, I'm not sure if it matters which of the 98 ways that ends in death. Could've died running into a beany baby barrier.

[Breadburner]

I'm sure a helmet would have protected the head after it was decapitated from the cable barrier......

[heironymouspasparagus]

I'm sure a helmet would have protected the head after it was decapitated from the cable barrier......

Keeps it all centrally located for easy scoop shovel retrieval... there is no winning in that kind of scenario.

[patric]

The contracts for repairing these in perpetuity must be lucrative; why else would we continue to do something that consistently doesnt work?


A motorcyclist was killed Sunday afternoon when he was hit head-on by an SUV that leapt a cable barrier dividing the eastbound and westbound lanes of the Keystone Expressway.
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/update-motorcyclist-killed-in-head-on-collision-on-u-s/article_81738347-b4e4-5d21-98ce-ee70f8433f23.html

[dbacksfan 2.0]

10 years ago some of you thought I was talking out my donkey on how bad these are.

http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/index.php?topic=7094.0

[Conan71]

10 years ago some of you thought I was talking out my donkey on how bad these are.

http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/index.php?topic=7094.0

If the Suburban was already rolling when it got to the barrier, the barrier may have just been an incidental player in this mess rather than a cause.  It was shocking to see the Harley bagger inside the Suburban via the windshield.  I believe that's what you call a million-to-one shot.

Oh, but cable barriers do still suck.

[heironymouspasparagus]

10 years ago some of you thought I was talking out my donkey on how bad these are.

http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/index.php?topic=7094.0

On a very early ABATE Toy Run - about number 4 or 5, IIRC - after toys were delivered, and everyone left the bar across from Jack's, one of the participants was going through the inner dispersal loop and had some trouble keeping it straight and level on the road.  The passenger panicked and either tried to step off, or was thrown from the back of the bike (not sure which), sliding down the guard rail barrier there and basically was cut into halves.  Any bike incident can turn serious to the point of grim in a flash.  As can car wrecks.  

Having said that, the cables seem like a much easier way for things to go very badly, very quickly, in a bigger variety of vehicles.  And maintenance has to be just pure stupid - another gravy train kickback event for someone's cronies!

[patric]

Oh, but cable barriers do still suck.

Someone at KOTV found a new use for cable barriers:

Police say four men smashed a door to the convenience store on 51st just west of Memorial, News On 6 was told. They tried to pull an ATM machine using a cable barrier, but the cable broke.
The men apparently weren't sure what to do after the cable broke, looked at each other and drove off, police said.
http://www.newson6.com/story/36993859/thieves-steal-cigarettes-from-tulsa-gas-station

Im guessing cut-and-paste, but still...

[patric]

Police determined McCurley was under the influence of methamphetamine and talking on his cellphone when his westbound 1999 Chevrolet Suburban struck the center cable barrier, rolled and slid into eastbound traffic, colliding with the motorcycle. Ayers was pronounced dead on scene, and McCurley and Rodriguez were taken to St. John Medical Center. Rodriguez, 36, survived.

https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/tulsa-man-gets-years-in-fatal-motorcycle-crash/article_a54e5101-3108-58fb-97c1-2676489d33b0.htm

[dbacksfan 2.0]

In Phoenix, when they built several highways from 1998 to 2004, they initially installed these cheese graters along the center median, and then later went on to convert most all the highways to Jersey Barriers when they converted them to highways with HOV lanes. Cable barriers are okay, but they don't completely prevent crossover accidents, and sometimes are worse. Cars can go through them, get snagged and cause rollover accidents, and if a motorcyclist hits one, well just think about it. They work most of the time, but there are times that they don't. When you see a Chevy Tahoe hit one and get shot back into traffic as it rolls over, you question the logic, not that it happens often, but it does happen.

Just my $.02.

Pointed this out almost five years ago. Said it before and I'll say it again, I have seen cars go under/over/through/spun back into the freeway and decapitate and mutilate motorcyclist.