You will find road impact attenuators that vary according to the impact energy they have to absorb
The road crash cushion is the part that can save the life of the driver and passengers if an accident. Impact attenuators can prevent up to 80% of deaths due to collisions with obstacles protected by this mechanism.
It is a protective device consisting of a deformable structure which, upon impact, breaks the car and retracts. In this way, it absorbs all or part of the impact and thus considerably reduces the number of casualties, injuries, and damage.
The road impact cushion, also known as crash cushion, is an indispensable road safety feature on the roads. Its installation is widespread and its quality and effectiveness has increased considerably in just a few years. We must not forget that due to the objectives it has to fulfil, and the strong impacts it has to respond to, it is a part that is subjected to demanding quality controls and test tests.
How does the road impact attenuator work?
The road impact attenuator has a meccano-like structure, the base of which is supported by a concrete wall and consists of telescopic steel panels which, when the vehicle impacts, are pushed into each other by rails cut into the sheet metal. Thanks to these rails, the system is not deformed or destroyed.
The inside of the panels contain box-shaped crossbeams filled with polyurethane foam or various aluminium tubes. When the car hits them, they deform and absorb the energy of the impact because if they were to return to their original shape, a spring effect would occur and the vehicle would bounce back onto the road.
Road impact attenuator models at T2S Ibérica
On the T2S Ibérica website, you will find a parallel impact attenuator model and a non-parallel impact attenuator.
The parallel impact attenuator is placed at road intersections, motorway exits and areas with a high risk of accidents. Its purpose is to safeguard the life of the driver and occupants by absorbing the impact energy. The non-parallel crash cushion offers the same features as the parallel crash cushion, but in addition redirects the vehicle away from the hazard.
Both impact attenuators offer many advantages for road safety:
- They redirect the vehicle after impact
- They are easily repairable; once they have been involved in a collision, the panels can be quickly replaced.
- As road safety elements, they are highly visible both day and night thanks to their contrasting front colours and delineators.
- They offer a refined design with orange plastic tanks.
Both models meet several technical specifications as they have been tested at the Transport Research Laboratory in the UK as a redirectional impact attenuator for the maximum speed of 100 km/h in accordance with EN1317-3. In order to fully meet the definition of an impact attenuator, Shindo conducted further tests for the 110 km/h, 80 km/h and 50 km/h models.
T2S Ibérica has four models of impact attenuator speed, both parallel and non-parallel, which are the CCSI 50 km/h, CSSI 80 km/h, CSSI 100 km/h and CCSI 110 km/h for which more information is available on request. You can therefore choose one model or another depending on the characteristics of the road and the impact they have to absorb in the event of an accident.
Do you need additional information on the road impact attenuator?
Our team has unique training, experience and knowledge of the sector. However, we are a company specialized in all types of elements for road safety: such as high-visibility PPE and retro-reflective materials for road signs, beacons, and vehicle markings.
We have been leading the sector since 1991, ensuring that our customers are well advised at all times, offering them a solution adapted to their needs.
Do not hesitate to contact us, at T2S Ibérica we are at your disposal, and we will provide you with the information you need regarding the characteristics of road impact attenuators.
The Transport Research Laboratory is a private transport consultancy, offering its advisory and research services to both the public and private sectors. It is a company that has 90 years of history and was created by the British State in 1933 and privatized in 1996.
The two models of impact attenuators that we produce in T2S Ibérica have been tested at the Transport Research Laboratory, in the United Kingdom, as a redirecting impact attenuator for the maximum speed of 100 km / h according to the EN1317-3 standard. To fully meet the definition of impact attenuator, Shindo conducted further testing for the 110 km/h, 80 km/h and 50 km/h models.
The installation of impact attenuators is widespread, and in a few years its quality and effectiveness has increased considerably. At T2S Ibérica we want to continue contributing to road safety through our products, and that is why we subject them to demanding quality controls and test tests, before being marketed.
It is important to note that, due to the objectives they must meet and the strong impacts to which these devices have to respond, we are talking about parts that cannot fail.
Road impact attenuators feature a complex design that is designed to absorb as much energy as possible from a vehicle’s impact. That is why their materials are also designed so that they can fulfill this task, which contributes to reducing by a significant number the number of deaths that occur per year in road accidents.
As for the materials, these devices have a meccano-type structure, with a base that rests on a concrete wall and is made up of telescopic steel panels. This is what allows you, when impacting the vehicle, to get into each other, due to some rails practised in the sheet. It is thanks to these rails that the system is not deformed or destroyed after each impact.
Inside, the panels can be box-shaped crossbars with fillings that can be of two types: polyurethane foam or aluminium tubes. The objective is that, when a car hits them, they deform and absorb the energy of the crash. It is important to understand the importance of the deformation of these materials because if they recover their shape, there could be a spring effect and bounce the vehicle to the road.
Road impact attenuators, also known as crash attenuators, are a road safety element that is essential on the roads.
This device is made up of a deformable structure that, at the moment of the impact of the vehicle against it, breaks the car and is collected. This allows it to absorb the crash to considerably reduce both the number of victims, injuries and damages.
It is estimated that they can prevent up to 80% of deaths due to collision with obstacles protected by this mechanism. Therefore, they are a key element in making vehicular circulation routes a safer place for users.
In T2S Ibérica, we have two types of impact attenuators: parallel and non-parallel. The first are those that are placed at highway intersections, highway exits and areas with high risk of accidents. Through them, it seeks to absorb the energy of the impact, with the aim of taking care of the life of the driver and the rest of the occupants of the vehicle. The non-parallel impact attenuator, on the other hand, offers the same characteristics as the parallel, but also redirects the vehicle away from danger.
Both the parallel and non-parallel attenuators comply with EN1317-3, as they have been tested at the Transport Research Laboratory, UK, as a redirecting impact attenuator for the maximum speed of 100 km/h. Additionally, so that they can fully meet the definition of impact attenuator, Shindo conducted further testing for the 110 km/h, 80 km/h and 50 km/h models.
Among the advantages shared by both types of impact attenuators are the following: they redirect the vehicle after impact, the panels can be changed quickly after an impact, they are highly visible pieces both day and night and have a refined design.
The function of impact attenuators is to cushion collisions on the roads, with the aim of helping to reduce the number of victims, injuries, and damage.
Its use is increasingly widespread due to the excellent results that have been proven after years of use and development. Currently, research indicates that 8 out of 10 collision deaths can be avoided against obstacles protected by this mechanism. This is how it is a device with 80% effectiveness, which undoubtedly fulfills its task.
On the other hand, there are internationally renowned companies such as the Transport Research Laboratory of the United Kingdom or Shindo, which have tested the impact attenuators of T2S Ibérica, certifying their compliance with certain regulations, such as EN1317-3, and guaranteeing that they correspond to the definition of impact attenuators for different speeds.
At T2S Ibérica we produce four impacts attenuator speed models, both parallel and non-parallel, which are CCSI 50km/h, CSSI 80 km/h, CSSI 100 km/h and CCSI 110 km/h. It is important to choose the right model, depending on the characteristics of the road and the impact they have to absorb in the event of an accident.
It should also be mentioned that all models meet a series of technical specifications conforming to the tests carried out at the Transport Research Laboratory in the United Kingdom, as a redirecting impact attenuator for the maximum speed of 100 km / h according to EN1317-3.
Additionally, so that they can fully meet the definition of impact attenuator, Shindo conducted further testing for the 110 km/h, 80 km/h and 50 km/h models. In this way, all our models have the support of having been tested by leaders in the road safety sector.