Did you ever hear the one about the lorry and the central reservation? Of course you did. Broken old record you're thinking. Indeed, tell it to the government.
Month after month the case for concrete barrier gets stronger, due to the increasing number of accidents involving steel barrier. Just how many more cross-over accidents will it take before we see concrete barrier employed full-time as a safety measure on Britain's roads?
Yet again, another cross-over incident involving a steel barrier occurred last month, for the third time on the same road - AND in less than three months! An overturned lorry spilled its load, crashing through the steel central reservation on the A12, one of the busiest main roads in Essex.
The lorry which crashed in the Rivenhall area blocked the northbound carriageway and forced closure between the junctions of Marks Tey and Kelvedon South for several hours while the vehicle was slowly recovered. This all-too-common accident took place at 5am on a Saturday morning resulting in traffic diversion while recovery operations by the police and the RAC took 8 hours to reopen the northbound section, and 12 hours to reopen the southbound section of the road.
The unfortunate incident took place literally days after Essex County Council announced it would hold an inquiry into how it could improve safety on the road and keep traffic flowing.
Bernard Jenkin, MP for north Essex, said he was disappointed to hear the road had been closed again.
He commented: “This is a typical incident on the A12, but I'm delighted that the county council is planning to hold an inquiry into why this keeps happening”.
“I hope it will find some concrete recommendations on how this vital road should be managed to prevent this kind of incident happening so often”.
Mr Jenkin need only turn to the findings of acclaimed civil, structural and highway consulting engineer, Professor John Knapton. Professor Knapton believes strongly that there are many benefits to using concrete barriers instead of steel. These benefits include:
Concrete does not damage vehicles as much as steel
Concrete barriers rarely require repair after a crash. Currently, repairing barriers involves closing a road/lane for repairs to be carried out, with workers being put at risk on the road
They work equally well with heavier vehicles
Only one concrete barrier is needed in the central reservation to serve both sides of the road
There is no headlight dazzle through the barrier
They need less space as they don't 'deform' like steel barriers
In 2002 a survey carried out on behalf of the Highways Agency examining concrete barrier usage in Europe found that every country that responded used concrete barrier systems. It was also discovered that several countries preferred concrete barriers to steel barriers in central reservations, especially where traffic was heavy. Reasons for the preference mirrored Professor Knapton's findings: safety, low maintenance, less risk of cross-over incidents and fewer interventions for replacement.
As we know, the majority of central reservations on major roads in England are installed with flexible steel safety barriers. This type of barrier was originally chosen for its containment of vehicles and minimum effect on vehicle occupants. These days, however, the Highways Agency has thankfully changed its policy following modern research and recommends the use of concrete barriers on motorway central reserves, but only when the steel barrier is up for repair.
The Highways Agency policy of introducing concrete barriers in central reservations should be implemented on Britain's motorways and A-roads as a matter of urgency, not only when a steel barrier comes to the end of its natural life. We know the theory, we know the practice. Lets get it on to our roads today and make cross-over incidents a thing of the past.
