food for thought...

[oldschoolsdime92]

Has anyone noticed these popping up on the interstates?

I always thought to myself, that if i go down on the highway, atleast I have a median I can attempt to slide into. Not anymore. I think these would do more damage than good.

[Steve Butters]

those will fuck your world up.....i know this for fact.

hit them and they ate right into my car, and then pushed me right back out across 2 lanes of traffic

[NinjaNick]

Oh yeah, 675 around here (Dayton) just put those up. I don't like them. A motorcyclist/body can be sliced to pieces IMO. I'm guessing just like everything else in this nation, cheaper is better? I say concrete only or no wall at all.

[oldschoolsdime92]

nick thats on 75, between piqua and troy, apparently they are going to do 75 like that from MI to flordia. I don't like those one bit. gives me a very uneasy feeling.

[CattaniAFJ]

I concur.

[chevysoldier]

I saw those on the discovery channel a few days ago. Worked great on cars. They slowed it down and did not push it back into traffic. Of course, they have to be set up correctly. Have no Idea what that would do to a motorcycle.

[ohdaho]

I noticed they all went up when that whack job launched himself off the guardrail and into the Dorothy Ln/Indian Ripple overpass on 675.

[Casper]

All of the freeways here in Columbus have those now.

[NinjaNick]

nick thats on 75, between piqua and troy, apparently they are going to do 75 like that from MI to flordia. I don't like those one bit. gives me a very uneasy feeling.

Damn that's a long stretch of road to cover with those. Yeah, they just put them up on 675 like ohdaho said below a few days after that kid launched himself from the median into the top of the bridge at over 100+.

I noticed they all went up when that whack job launched himself off the guardrail and into the Dorothy Ln/Indian Ripple overpass on 675.

[alienpi]

I like the fact that highway patrols can't do u-turns in the median. But. the first thing I thought of when I saw them was police state (watch?v=zPJQ4C8V2hc at www.youtube.com/).

With all the cameras everywhere, all we need now is a way to corral people to prevent them from escaping. I guess once the interstate medians are done they will be installed along the sides. I think eventually they will be installed along the sides of less traveled highways.

Edited October 14, 2010 by alienpi

[Disclaimer]

I like the fact that highway patrols can't do u-turns in the median.

This was the first thing I thought, then I thought I'm happy it was there to keep the idiots from crossing the median into my lane. Protecting me from everyone else.

[RSVDon]

This was the first thing I thought, then I thought I'm happy it was there to keep the idiots from crossing the median into my lane. Protecting me from everyone else.

My second thought was. Shit, this is going to be harder to see OSP sitting in the median. After a few days and a few cops...it is.

I wonder how it will mess with radar guns?

[ohdaho]

This was the first thing I thought, then I thought I'm happy it was there to keep the idiots from crossing the median into my lane. Protecting me from everyone else.

Cops can still do U turns since its not a continuous fence. For the most part, emergency crossovers are still there.

[Disclaimer]

Yea, but not through the median, which is how I got busted about 9 years ago.

They'll at least have to travel a mile or so in the opposite direction I'm traveling -- buying me lots of time for decision-making. Assuming the cop is working alone...

[oldschoolsdime92]

hadn't thought of that! but the idea of being decapitated due to a steel cable being in my path if I were to happen to go down, I dont like.

[Scruit]

If you're in a car then it's better be be redirected back into your own lanw than to cross over and hit an oncoming vehicle.

On a bike, I shudder to think what would happen to the rider...

[mojocho]

The premise is that concrete barrier is a) more expensive and b) can cause a lot of damage to the driver.

But we still need a barrier since many fatalities are caused by head on collisions by cars drifting across the median and into the other lane. Also the intention is that on impact, the posts near the impact zone is supposed to give way and uproot. As the energy dissipates, less and less posts are uprooted. This lessens the impact and slows the car until it stops rather than going from 80mph to zero a la concrete barrier.

As for MC's, I'd be pretty concerned as well. However, like everything else in the US, the almighty cage is the primary focus.

[Steve Butters]

The premise is that concrete barrier is a) more expensive and b) can cause a lot of damage to the driver.

But we still need a barrier since many fatalities are caused by head on collisions by cars drifting across the median and into the other lane. Also the intention is that on impact, the posts near the impact zone is supposed to give way and uproot. As the energy dissipates, less and less posts are uprooted. This lessens the impact and slows the car until it stops rather than going from 80mph to zero a la concrete barrier.

As for MC's, I'd be pretty concerned as well. However, like everything else in the US, the almighty cage is the primary focus.

in theory that sounds great....but i hit one at about 70mph and not one post came out of the ground...it was like a pinball machine, im very lucky i was the only car on the road, because it spit me back out across two lanes of traffic.....thats why i prefer guard rails - atleast they give an absorb some impact, instead of just pushing you back out into traffic

maybe it had to do with the ground being frozen, im not sure...i just dont really like these cords

[mojocho]

i can't argue with your first had experience. glad you're alright though.

[Steve Butters]

yea...i got that mid-winter itch to drive my toy to work one morning at 4am...the roads looked clear so i thought, sweet no problem.....i guess my 285 drag radials didnt like black ice lol...came down a ramp in the stang a little hot, hit the ice, and it did a 180 and shot across 3 lanes slamming into those cords backwards and then it shot me to the middle lane where i came to stop

mcsteaks happen lol, oh well

[swingset]

There's been some action to study those with regards to motorcycles, injuries and the like. Obviously they were not designed with any thought to rider safety.

That said, riding on the interstate is the suck...so yet another reason for me to avoid it.

[oldschoolsdime92]

i agree. it does suck, but sometimes it can't be avoided.

[MidgetTodd]

A motorcyclist/body can be sliced to pieces IMO.

Can and has.

On a bike, I shudder to think what would happen to the rider...

He lost a leg at the hip. It was a mess to clean up.

[Scruit]

I'm guessing you're a fireman or medic? My brother is an ambulance tech (and trainee Paramedic) in the UK. Thanks for the job you do.