All In Favor Of Cable Barriers, Say Aye

[ATeam]

I just read in The Trucker, July 1-14 issue that Indiana DOT installed a 13 mile test section of median cable barriers on I-65. The barrier was hit 69 times by out of control vehicles in the first eight months. At least one tractor trailer was stopped by the barrier. No vehicles passed through the barrier. No serious injuries resulted from the crashes.

Long-time EO readers are familiar with the tragic accident that ended Glen and Janice Rice's expediting career. Had such barriers been in place where that accident occured, the Rices would be happily hauling freight today and the driver of the car that crossed the median and struck the Rice truck would probably be alive.

Not everything DOT does is bad. These cable barriers are a good thing.

 

[Pappy]

I would rather see concrete barriers in the median strips. I've seen too many cross-overs lately where loaded tractor trailers just went right through the cables. I would also imagine that it is very expensive to repair the downed cables.

Pappy

 

[OntarioVanMan]

On the flip side I seen the aftermath of a tractor hitting the concrete barrier so hard that huge chucks flew into the oncoming lanes and seriously hurt people.

 

[Turtle]

Nationwide, only 2.4 percent of all Interstate crashes are cross-median crashes, yet that scant 2.4 percent accounts for a whopping 32.7 percent of all highway fatalities.

From 1999 to 2000, 94 people in South Carolina lost their lives in 57 separate interstate crossover median crashes. From August 2000 through July 2003, the South Carolina cable median system was hit 3,000 times, but only 15 vehicles penetrated the cables, and only 1 actually crossed over into oncoming traffic. There were zero fatalities amongst any of the 15 cable penetrations.

Texas installed median cables in May 2004 on 600 miles of highway. In the 9 years prior to the cable installation, that 600 mile section averaged 32 median crossovers resulting in 63 deaths per year. Since May 2004, there has been just 1 reported fatality in a cross-median accident in the areas secured by cables.

It's hard to argue with that.

 

[buckeyewildman]

i,m defintly for cable barriors since they put them in on I 75 between I-275 and and franklin in ohio the fatality accidents have gone way down
aye aye aye aye aye

 

[FireGears]

And how many million$ is THIS going to cost...

These barriers are nothing more than a "bandaide" treating a symptom
of the problem... Violation of the Traffic Laws
(speeding, driving too fast of the conditions, road rage, improper/unsafe vehicle operation, ...)

Here might be another plan.

1. Take the "barrier" million$ for work on the bridges.

2. LOWER the National maximum speed limit to 55mph
(lowering vehicle speed may keep them on the road and save fuel)

3. Triple the number of Traffic Officers and ENFORCE the Traffic Laws.
Demand that they write tickets by the 1000's each and every month.
(yes, each officer WILL have a quota...)

4. Triple the fines for violations..
Except, 5 times the current fines for driving without a
license/insurance
and 10 times the current fines for DUI
20% to the courts
40% to local Law Enforcement to pay for the Traffic Officers
40% for road/bridge repair.

5. Divert most of the funds for welfare/food stamps into wages for those who work on community road projects

6. Reinstate convict work-crews for community road projects...
don't do the crime if hate the chain-gang

Of course, this will never happen when it's just easier to raise the taxes on the efforts of the working class.

KEEP SMILING ... :+ :+

plus ...

 

[greg334]

Ok?!

I thought that there was a safety report done in the 80's about the effectiveness between the three barrier systems and cables were lower on the list than concrete barriers?

I know for a fact that concrete will prevent most cars from going through it but an SUV, or a truck is a different story. Concrete, like cables don't always absorb the energy but rebound it, sending objects back into traffic lanes where it came from.

I know of one person who was killed when their pickup was flattened by a truck that was thrown back into traffic by a cable system.

 

[Falligator]

I agree. It would probably help those crazy drivers in the Chicago area...lol. I think the cable barriers would be a good thing.









ShawnF
O/O Cargo Van
former Panther driver

 

[BigBusBob]

Hello again, it's been awhile since I've been on here. I'm going to put my 2 cents in here... I say Cable Barriers are a life saver.

Currently I drive a cement mixer. Briefly, for those that may not know of me... I did drive a straight truck in expediting a few years ago. I've also driven 18 wheeler all over the US. I've been an OTR driver for the better part of now working on 10 years. I've traveled all 48 states and Ontario and Quebec driving tour busses as well.

I still drive tour busses (passenger and private coaches) on a part time basis.

I currently commute 35 miles each way on I-26 and I-385 in upstate South Carolina.

I run I-85, I-185, 385, and 26 in a Mack cement mixer that hauls 10 yards (sometimes 11 yards) of concrete.
I weigh in at about 77,000 pounds with 10 yards on.

Cable barriers are used on 385, and I have seen them save an 18 wheeler on numerous occasions. Concrete barriers are used on 85. 26 uses cement and cable barriers. I've seen the concrete barriers crack and break in spots under the stress of a hit of even a small vehicle. I think that the cable barriers are much easier to fix. They are certainly repaired quicker than the cement barriers are. Cement costs on average of 90 to 110 bucks a yard. with the average hanging about 100 a yard. The cables I don't know. But, concrete is used in different areas, usually you'll see concrete used where space is at a premium, and cables where there is a wide median to work with.

Overall, I believe certain area's limit the use of certain barriers. How many cable barriers do you see used in Chicago and the north east? Not many, due to space - concrete is used. Out in the open, where there's room, cable is used.

I have no problem with the cable system, especially when I've seen them save many a vehicle from going into opposite traffic.

I will say this, that the concrete barriers should/could be coated/treated with some kind of material that should make them shatter less and/or crumble less. Have you ever been hit or seen a vehicle hit by concrete - something even the size of your fist can do a good bit of damage.

That's all I got to say about that.

Don't know when I'll be on here next, but it was (as always) nice to visit. Hope all is well,

Sincerely,

BigBusBob
Father of John Anthony (Little Bus?)
Born 07-20-07, at 4:37 pm in Greenwood, SC...
7 lbs. 14 oz. 21" Long.

Yes, I've been a little bitty busy lately. Smile!

 

[arrbsthw]

I read an article in one of the truck magazines that
said it cost $1,000,000 per mile to install those
cable barriers.. my little brain just can't comprehend how
it could cost that much money for someone to string up
some cable wire across the median... must be some
mighty expensive cable.

 

[Turtle]

A million dollars a mile is closer to what it costs to build a 4-lane road. Here's some eye-opening numbers, especially for Boston and New York. http://www-pam.usc.edu/volume2/v2i1a3s2.html


From the Nov, 2003 annual meeting of the National Transportation Research Board, Washington D.C, the Washington State Cable Median Barrier In-Service Study presents:

"Cable median barrier installation cost was calculated to be approximately $44,000 per mile. The average cost per repair was found to be $733 and the maintenance repair cost per mile was found to be $2,570 annually. The time between cable barrier damage notification and repair was estimated to be about 2 days and the time required to repair it was about 30% less than that required for W-beam guardrail."

Reported numbers from other states are generally within plus or minus $2,000 per mile.

http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/eesc/design/policy/Documents/CableBarriersubmittalforTRB.pdf


Slow and steady, even in expediting, wins the race - Aesop

 

[Tennesseahawk]

I suggest someone in this thread doesn't have the stomach for "life". Tell me... did you have to think long and hard about the bridge thing, or did you just believe the media when they declared there's a bridge crisis?

-Vampire Super Slooth Trucker!!!

 

[Tennesseahawk]

I see some smoke drew a fox out of his hole.

-Vampire Super Slooth Trucker!!!

 

[Turtle]

You posted that under my reply, in response to my message, so I'm not sure if you were addressing me, or not. As I said in the actual "bridge" thread, there is no OMG! Crisis at all. We don't open the newspapers to find a new bridge collapse disaster du jour. Yeah, there are published reports where a bridge a week gets closed because of things falling off of it or being found defective, but we also have thousands of miles of roads that experience the same thing on a daily basis. Big deal, man-made things wear out and break and have to be repaired, especially those things which are built in order to try and circumvent, tame, or usurp nature.

Slow and steady, even in expediting, wins the race - Aesop

 

[kathynwolf]

While I certainly applaud the use of the cables...69 out of control vehicles on a 13 mile streach in 6 months???? This is scary stuff and says our problems extend way beyond cable barriers.

 

[kathynwolf]

Firegears...AYE AYE AYE. ROFL How about a national Safty Month? June would be good...All month all violations ticketed..speeding, turn signals, stop AND Yield signs, proper lane changes. Without a doubt all trafic needs to be slowed down..how many people must die before we admit the real problems are the drivers..not roads or vehicles.

 

[Turtle]

69 out of control vehicles may sound like a lot, and it is, but it's not when taken into account of how many vehicles travel that section of road. Interstate highways can comfortably handle about 20,000 vehicles per lane per day. Which means a 4-lane Interstate can handle 80,000, a 6-lane stretch can handle 120,000.

Statistically, Indiana has 2.8 collisions per million vehicle miles traveled. A 13 mile stretch times 80,000 vehicles is 1,040,000 miles on that stretch of road, [/i]daily[/i]. So, statistically, there should be a couple of accidents each day there. 69 in eight months (not 6) is only two per week.

Slow and steady, even in expediting, wins the race - Aesop

 

[kathynwolf]

Yes, but your including all accidents in those statistics. Rear-ends..side swipes etc. This is 69 out of control veicles, or most likely..out of control drivers. This also only counts the out of control vehicles that went towards median..not the ones that went off the road to the right. Narrowed down..it is still scary.

 

[Crazynuff]

>Ok?!
>
>I thought that there was a safety report done in the 80's
>about the effectiveness between the three barrier systems
>and cables were lower on the list than concrete barriers?
>
>I know for a fact that concrete will prevent most cars from
>going through it but an SUV, or a truck is a different
>story. Concrete, like cables don't always absorb the energy
>but rebound it, sending objects back into traffic lanes
>where it came from.
>
>I know of one person who was killed when their pickup was
>flattened by a truck that was thrown back into traffic by a
>cable system.
I also heard of a driver killed when part of a cable barrier that was hit flew into their vehicle . I have a problem with states that put the barrier just a few feet off the pavement . If a vehicle becomes disabled in the left lane it can't get out of the left lane .

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Turtle... my comment wasn't toward you. Notice my posts are #11 and 13.

-Vampire Super Slooth Trucker!!!