Lets Talk Median Barriers

[Jono]

This is something I never really thought too much about until today. I saw on the news that a motorcyclist was killed by a cable median barrier this afternoon.

http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/...torcycle-crash


I mean, I've thought about how terrible it would be to hit one of these cable median barriers in a car but I hadn't really wanted to think about hitting one on a bike. Today I did. And I'm kinda terrified. If you hit one of these barriers at any decent speed you will be losing limbs or worse.

I know, I know. Just don't hit them. But **** happens and when that **** happens it would be nice if there weren't cables ready to cut you in half just a few feet from the road. I know regular old guardrails can be just as deadly but they still seem quite a bit more forgiving than the cable type. At least with the old barriers your body has a chance to fly over the railing instead of your body going through a cheese grater for humans.

I can't believe how close the guardrail was to the road where this accident occurred today. It looks like it's about 10ft from the fast lane. That seems a bit close if you ask me.

I get that these cable type median barriers are cheaper and quicker to build initially but I'd like to see how much cheaper it really is in the long run.

What are your thoughts on this?

[Motofool]

Originally Posted by Jono

........

What are your thoughts on this?

I fully agree with each of your statements, Jono.

I had never seen one so close to the road.

Unfortunately, motorcycles are only the 2% of the vehicles that circulate on USA's roads and these devices are budgeted, designed and built with cars and trucks in mind.

[Jono]

Originally Posted by Motofool

I had never seen one so close to the road.

Unfortunately, motorcycles are only the 2% of the vehicles that circulate on USA's roads and these devices are budgeted, designed and built with cars and trucks in mind.

That's the sad truth. More people need to ride motorcycles. The world would be a better place.

My solution will be to cruise in the slow lane if I see a cable barrier that close to the road.

[csmith12]

They are all over KY and TN. I told my wife when they start putting them up that I thought they are deadlier to bikers than the guardrails of the past.

Sad... rip

[alex.s]

this is the first time i've seen them. but they look like a stupid idea. doesn't look like it would stop a car, but definitely looks like it would **** a bike worse than lowsiding into a ditch. but i could see it being better than going all the way into oncoming and head-on'ing a car

[corksil]

Originally Posted by Jono

What are your thoughts on this?

Initial thought ---- is that the dude's head way up north in the picture?

Secondary thought ---- what was the name of that movie with the drug-running-biker who met his demise via a steel-cable-at-neck-level-decapitation?

Tertiary thought ---- Dangit I am sounding deranged.

Thought after that ---- that cop probably does not feel as if he is compensated adequately for the things he must deal with in his line of work.

Following thought ---- human cheese-grater.

Final thought ---- don't hit it and you won't have any problems.

[Floki]

I live in MS and they use the cable barriers here as well as in LA. The ones in LA are farther from the fast lane than the ones in MS. However, in LA they fix them when someone runs it over and in MS they don't(at least not in a timely manner). I've seen wrecks and most of the time the car goes straight through it but without enough momentum to continue into oncoming traffic.

[Singh2jz]

r.i.p.

I've always wanted padded walls..

[Roark]

Jeez, @Jono, I drove that stretch from Arlington High for 2 years....

I have a friend who nearly lost his head when his Firebird locked up and crammed itself between those cables.

RIP

[snot]

Originally Posted by csmith12

They are all over KY and TN. I told my wife when they start putting them up that I thought they are deadlier to bikers than the guardrails of the past.

Sad... rip

And Ohio

A little girl was killed last year. We had a pile up and her mom and her got out of the car. Another car hit one of the others in the pile up, it broke the cable, the cable killed the girl when it struck her.

Cables are a bad idea.

[sh123469]

Last report I saw said that cable barriers, although cheaper to install were much more dangerous. It said that in light side-swipes, the cables pull the vehicle in and destroy it. They destroy pretty much any vehicle that hits them.
The cables were found to be a very big safety issue in the event that it should break.

Once this barrier is hit, it is useless until repaired where a guard rail might be down for 20 feet but the rest is still there and functional.

I would hate to hit either. But, if I had to choose, I'd much rather hit the guard rail.

[JasonJ]

I've never seen these before up here in MI. And Thank God.. I get an upset stomach just thinking of the damage these will do.

Cables are the stupidest idea ever for this. By the size of the posts, I'm guessing these cable rails are meant to prevent an unobstructed path into oncoming traffic, not necessarily to keep the vehicle on the side of the road. A car or truck would plow right through this barrier, but the cables would direct it more parallel to the road.

These need to go. NOW.

[DEFY]

My feelings ^

[spooph]

Link to original page on YouTube.

Link to original page on YouTube.

Seems to me the corrugated steel barriers are better, although I've personally seen a rider puree his leg on one of those...

RIP rider.

[greenaero]

I saw a lot of these cable barriers when I was riding through AR, KY, OH, MO, central USA. Definitely bad news for a motorcyclist, but so would hitting any other soid barrier. I generally ride in the right lane or middle lane of a three lane freeway, using the left lane for passing. my 2 cents: just another hazard for motorcyclists to avoid. I'm much more concerned about moving hazrds; they can be unpredictable.

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by snot

And Ohio

A little girl was killed last year. We had a pile up and her mom and her got out of the car. Another car hit one of the others in the pile up, it broke the cable, the cable killed the girl when it struck her.

Cables are a bad idea.

I remember seeing that on the news. Sad...

[cuong-nutz]

RIP rider.

You'll see those cable road dividers all along I-10 here in Texas.

Wish we knew more about the story though. Source says ride was making a pass and the rumble strips caused him to lose control and wreck. Sounds like he lost control before he hit the rumble strips....

RIP.

[Whiskey]

From talking to someone who's seen a crash into the wire, it's not going through the wire that kills you, the wire guides you straight into the very solid & sharp edged uprights.

The upright does damage that you dont get up from.

[csmith12]

Originally Posted by Whiskey

From talking to someone who's seen a crash into the wire, it's not going through the wire that kills you, the wire guides you straight into the very solid & sharp edged uprights.

The upright does damage that you dont get up from.

That is the way I was thinking they are worse. They may give enough to divert a fleshy body right into the next wire guide.

[cadd]

I've never seen those in the east coast. Doesn't look good for a motorcyclist

[corksil]

Dang, not much looks good to a motorcycle.

Maybe I just need to take on a better attitude and outlook, but motorcycles ARE a design flaw. They are like cars, but without the protective metal cage around the operator -- and there's also that part about how they tip over when stationary.

Atleast as motorcycle operators we can enjoy that feeling of speed and the stability of the "craft" once a certain speed is reached.

I have a tiny xr50 dirtbike which I use as a quick means of transportation around job sites to minimize the need for walking up/down steep hills repeatedly. Seemingly everyone who watches me pilot the tiny vessel at great speeds says "that looks like fun, can I try?"

To that I say "if you sit on the seat, you have already assumed the risk. I am not liable for your inability to pilot this ship." That and... something to the effect of "Try not to wheelie over backwards, I've done a bit of engine work and this bike really tries to scoot out from under you if you aren't holding on tight."

[corksil]

dangit that is a really blurry picture. Best to NOT try and enlarge it or you may become dizzy after trying to focus your eyes on it for any period of time.

[MrAtom]

God. It'd be like when you gib someone in Quake or Half Life. That's brutal.

[Whiskey]

Originally Posted by corksil

Initial thought ---- is that the dude's head way up north in the picture? Don't think so, it'd have left more of a mess in it's wake.

Secondary thought ---- what was the name of that movie with the drug-running-biker who met his demise via a steel-cable-at-neck-level-decapitation? the councillor

Tertiary thought ---- Dangit I am sounding deranged.sounding?

Thought after that ---- that cop probably does not feel as if he is compensated adequately for the things he must deal with in his line of work.

Following thought ---- human cheese-grater.

Final thought ---- don't hit it and you won't have any problems.Not entirely true, if someone else hits it at the wrong angle it can catapult them across a couple of lanes, kinda like a pool ball off the side cushion.

Originally Posted by MrAtom

God. It'd be like when you gib someone in Quake or Half Life. That's brutal.

Think more along the lines of a limb cleaved off with a machete/axe. Not a clean chop but not Quake style meatball suop either.

[spooph]

Originally Posted by corksil

Dang, not much looks good to a motorcycle.

Maybe I just need to take on a better attitude and outlook, but motorcycles ARE a design flaw. They are like cars, but without the protective metal cage around the operator -- and there's also that part about how they tip over when stationary.

Atleast as motorcycle operators we can enjoy that feeling of speed and the stability of the "craft" once a certain speed is reached.

I have a tiny xr50 dirtbike which I use as a quick means of transportation around job sites to minimize the need for walking up/down steep hills repeatedly. Seemingly everyone who watches me pilot the tiny vessel at great speeds says "that looks like fun, can I try?"

To that I say "if you sit on the seat, you have already assumed the risk. I am not liable for your inability to pilot this ship." That and... something to the effect of "Try not to wheelie over backwards, I've done a bit of engine work and this bike really tries to scoot out from under you if you aren't holding on tight."

What kind of jacket is that?

[corksil]

Originally Posted by Whiskey

Think more along the lines of a limb cleaved off with a machete/axe. Not a clean chop but not Quake style meatball suop either.

I used to be good at that billiards game. Thanks for the movie title, that was a good one.

[corksil]

Originally Posted by spooph

What kind of jacket is that?

Dainese speed naked, if I recall correctly. Tobacco color. (Brown, for us non-phaggot-fashioneers) Dirt color, so it doesn't require cleaning, only wearing, getting dirty, and getting more dirty.

Develops quite an odor as time passes, not for the faint of heart.

Like most things that I own, it seems to be... uh... out of production by a few years.

They are short in the arms if you are a wide shouldered individual.

[xorbe]

Yeah unfortunately those barriers aren't there to save you, but to save the opposing traffic from a wayward vehicle.

[spooph]

Originally Posted by corksil

Dainese speed naked, if I recall correctly. Tobacco color. (Brown, for us non-phaggot-fashioneers) Dirt color, so it doesn't require cleaning, only wearing, getting dirty, and getting more dirty.

Develops quite an odor as time passes, not for the faint of heart.

Like most things that I own, it seems to be... uh... out of production by a few years.

They are short in the arms if you are a wide shouldered individual.

This one? http://www.dainese.com/us_en/g-speed...elle-1566.html

Been looking at that myself for a long while... With that price tag, it's a thinker... Good to know, as I have narrow shoulders but long monkey arms....

[LittleRedNinjette]

95 in PA has them by me and i never gave this a though until now. I traveled that stretch of 95 for work for years on the bike to.

[corksil]

Originally Posted by spooph

This one? http://www.dainese.com/us_en/g-speed...elle-1566.html

Been looking at that myself for a long while... With that price tag, it's a thinker... Good to know, as I have narrow shoulders but long monkey arms....

Yeah, PM me if you want more details on my shoulder width/arm length/size-ordered. I ordered one that was too small and had to send it back and go up one size. Glad I did.

[pstolemy]

Originally Posted by Jono

That's the sad truth. More people need to ride motorcycles. The world would be a better place.

My solution will be to cruise in the slow lane if I see a cable barrier that close to the road.

😁😁 indeed the world would be.

Those cables give me the heeby jeebies

[InvisiBill]

Originally Posted by JasonJ

I've never seen these before up here in MI. And Thank God.. I get an upset stomach just thinking of the damage these will do.

Cables are the stupidest idea ever for this. By the size of the posts, I'm guessing these cable rails are meant to prevent an unobstructed path into oncoming traffic, not necessarily to keep the vehicle on the side of the road. A car or truck would plow right through this barrier, but the cables would direct it more parallel to the road.

These need to go. NOW.

They started putting them up on this side of the state a couple years ago. As far as I know, I-96 has them all the way from GR to Lansing.