Wire Highway Barriers: Cheese Graters for Motorcyclists

As Seen in Thunder Road Magazine

 

What is a wire highway barrier? Also called median cable guardrail—it is comprised of cable rope made of steel wire that is mounted on posts that are driven into the ground. The idea is that the wire barrier prevents a vehicle that has left the roadway from striking another vehicle and creating a more dangerous situation. The barrier stops or reduces the speed of the impacting vehicle.  It is usually installed in the grass between opposite traveling express ways.  The barrier is meant to stop or deflect, say a car that left the road and was heading across the median and would hit another car in a head-on impact.

The Michigan Department of Transportation's information pamphlet entitled, “Cable Guardrail in Michigan, Making State Highways Safer” tells us that the increased use of wire highway barriers started in 2008 when Michigan installed 280 miles of cable guardrail at a cost of $40 million.  MDOT claims that cable barrier is the most cost-effective safety barrier available costing about $13 per foot where this regular steel guardrail cost $30 per foot and concrete barriers costing $80.

MDOT expects the cable guardrail systems to save 13 lives and additionally prevent just over 50 injuries that incapacitate motorists.  MDOT maintains that cross median crashes are more deadly, in fact, three times more deadly, than other freeway crashes. It suggests that the cable guardrail system is expected to reduce cross median crashes by approximately 90%.

However, the wire barriers have also caused damage.  Newspaper reporter, Aaron Aupperlee of the Kalamazoo Gazette reported in his 2010 article that a Michigan State Police Sargent who was also an accident reconstructionist stated that the barriers have prevented three or more vehicles from crossing over the median and hitting on-coming traffic in slippery weather.  However, he also reported there were many more crashes into the barriers from vehicles sliding off the roadway.

Impact to motorcycles: Certainly motorcyclists benefit from other vehicles being stopped from crossing the median and hitting them—the motorcyclist.  But obviously the concern is that these wires present a more serious risk of severe injury and even death to a motorcyclist.  Some motorcyclists refer to these wire rope barriers as “widow makers.”  I have heard talk that if a motorcyclist hit one of these barriers there would be a ‘cheese-grater’ effect. 

Safety options are possible for the wire barriers.  One includes covering areas of the wire rope with an impact-absorbing plastic. 

Australia, Canada, Sweden, and other European countries have used the wire barriers longer than the USA.  Rob Chadbourne of South Australia was quoted by another journalist as saying, “It needs to be covered with plastic or another material, so if motorcyclists do come off their bikes, instead of sliding through the wire, they slide along it.”

The only study I found on point on this issue was: MOTORCYCLE IMPACTS INTO ROADSIDE BARRIERS – REAL-WORLD ACCIDENT STUDIES, CRASH TESTS AND SIMULATIONS CARRIED OUT IN GERMANY AND AUSTRALIA by Berg, Rucker and Grzebieta, Zou Paper Number 05-0095.

Here is a relevant and interesting quote from it: Simulations of the wire rope barrier collisions showed that regardless of angle or speed it is unlikely that the motorcyclist will clear the barrier cleanly. In many cases the motorcyclist’s extremities became caught between the wires. This results in the rider being subjected to high decelerations and high injury risk secondary to impacts with the road.

In all the simulated wire rope barrier collisions, the wires guided the motorcycle into the posts leading to heavy contact with the post. The motorcycle and the rider were subjected to large decelerations because of this snagging effect

This writer’s research found that the State of Michigan has outweighed the cost of non-motorcycle vehicle benefit against potential motorcyclists harm.  It decided against the motorcyclists—more wire barriers are being installed.  They are on the rise. 

I asked motorcycle safety instructor Gary Lewandowski about riding next to these wire guard rails.  Gary advised that you should always have ‘360 degree awareness’ which includes identifying hazards.  He continued, “Part of safe riding involves having an escape route if and when a situation arises.  Your escape route must factor in the wire guardrail as a very serious hazard. Every situation is different.”

Perhaps expert Lewandowski’s immediate utterance is tell-tale.  Within five seconds of our conversation, I mentioned “wire guard rails.”  He interrupted and blurted out, “I just shutter when I see them.”

 

 

 

 

Attorney Jason A. Waechter is a Michigan attorney specializing in the areas of motorcycle and motor vehicle injury litigation as well as Michigan’s Motor Vehicle No- Fault Law. Mr. Waechter has collected millions of dollars in settlements, awards and verdicts for his motorcycle clients over the past 20 years.  A portion of each case settled goes to educational resources for bikers, funds to help bikers while their cases are being litigated and our motorcycle accident prevention campaign.  Call Attorney Jason Waechter toll free at 1-877-BIKER LAW. Or visit

* There are exceptions—if the guy was uninsured.  Further, the law is very fact dependent and there are many nuances and exceptions depending on your particular circumstances. Therefore, given the limited space, it is impossible to cover everything. Do not rely on this short article to protect your rights.