They are putting up stupid steel rope type barriers on the highway...

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TraumaRN

Diamond Member
Jun 5, 2005
6,893
63
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Is it really necessary to necro post? We've beaten this to death already.




I think everyone in the Prius did die. One of them survived the impact but later died in the hospital.

No, as someone who works at that particular hospital they were taken to, all but one died.

It went like this, two in the Prius were dead on scene, two were transported to us one lived, one died.
 
Aug 23, 2000
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see it's not the same for every place. In your area it's not a good thing, in others it is. Seems like the big grass ditch has a lot of leeway some roads are not like that. But it's money give to the city that they HAVE to spend or they don't get any more.

It's stupid but it's how government works. Here they are repaving perfect roads, not a single thing wrong with it. Our money, well spent. My teacher friends tell me they are given x money and though they don't need to buy anything they have to use it that year and can't save/roll it over. If they don't spend it, it's deemed they don't need that money and next year they don't get as much.

But like lemmings they go out and spend it all so they don't get less the next year.
That's how the teachers do it around here.
 

olds

Elite Member
Mar 3, 2000
50,071
744
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Here's a novel concept, stay on the road.

I hate the concrete barrier/k rail/jersey wall. If you are working in the number one lane and there is an accident, it funnels the cars into you and you can't run into the number two lane to get away. Just stand there and die like a man.
 

ussfletcher

Platinum Member
Apr 16, 2005
2,569
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I think its important to note (in case you guys didn't pick this up already) That these cables are not dividing traffic, in Michigan we have about a 20 to 50 foot median with either forest or a large ditch filling this space. In areas where the traffic is close there are typically 6 foot concrete walls (they add additional concrete to the top of normal concrete dividers) Thus, we had no need for these.
 

0roo0roo

No Lifer
Sep 21, 2002
64,795
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No, as someone who works at that particular hospital they were taken to, all but one died.

It went like this, two in the Prius were dead on scene, two were transported to us one lived, one died.

course there could be a lot of leeway in that survived bit....wheel chair or worse...
 

MrX8503

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2005
4,529
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I think its important to note (in case you guys didn't pick this up already) That these cables are not dividing traffic, in Michigan we have about a 20 to 50 foot median with either forest or a large ditch filling this space. In areas where the traffic is close there are typically 6 foot concrete walls (they add additional concrete to the top of normal concrete dividers) Thus, we had no need for these.

Concrete walls costs several times more than these cable barriers. In very narrow median highway areas you need concrete walls, but with larger medians, its favorable to use the cable rails.

If there is a forest in the median, there isn't going to be a cable rail there. If its a 20-50ft median with a ditch in the middle, this does not stop a car like many people believe. A car traveling at highway speeds will cross this median and collide onto oncoming traffic at which the fatality rate is very high.

As you can see in the example of the demolished Prius.
 

DrunkenSano

Diamond Member
Aug 8, 2008
3,892
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I would assume the cable barriers are put up so people who run off the road into the forest don't end up dying from slamming their cars into a tree. And if you go off the road at high speed into a ditch, wouldn't it flip the car over and over, possibly killing the occupants? Barrier is to keep people on the road stuff like that doesn't happen.
 

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,351
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Here's a novel concept, stay on the road.

I hate the concrete barrier/k rail/jersey wall. If you are working in the number one lane and there is an accident, it funnels the cars into you and you can't run into the number two lane to get away. Just stand there and die like a man.

I do stay on the road. The problem is that in the winter, people are even bigger idiots than normal. I would much rather they took down all the barriers and let Darwin deal with these fools.

The whole points it that all the dangerous sections already have barriers. These were put up simply to spend stimulus money. The government didn't think it through and now thousands of people a day are paying for it. Lets not forget to mention all the lovely emissions from the thousands of cars that are running for 3x as long as normal.
 

TraumaRN

Diamond Member
Jun 5, 2005
6,893
63
91
I do stay on the road. The problem is that in the winter, people are even bigger idiots than normal. I would much rather they took down all the barriers and let Darwin deal with these fools.

The whole points it that all the dangerous sections already have barriers. These were put up simply to spend stimulus money. The government didn't think it through and now thousands of people a day are paying for it. Lets not forget to mention all the lovely emissions from the thousands of cars that are running for 3x as long as normal.

And the alternative is someone dead or multiple deaths and guess what you'll sit there for HOURS because they'll actually close the freeway. I'd rather have half an hour of stop and go, knowing that someone survived versus 4-5 hours of literal stand-still and know that someone died.
 

Born2bwire

Diamond Member
Oct 28, 2005
9,840
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and....I called it.

A car slid off the road and hit one of these things this morning. Backed up the highway because instead of being in the ditch, the car was half in the fast lane. Tore the bumper right off the car too.

Good job guys!

Sounds like it worked then. Good job I say.
 

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
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and now an update:

I was 100% right on what would happen. We had our first ever pileup the other day. 20+ cars smashing into each other because one car hit the barrier and then bounced back into traffic. In the old days you would ditch your car if you couldn't stop in time, but with these things in place that isn't an option. Every day on the way to work there are bumpers all along the highway. I've yet to see a single time when these things were any kind of a good thing.

There is one upside. The cops can't cut through the median to give you a ticket and they have to slow down basically to a stop to turn around in one of the designated spots. So unless you see a cop sitting in the middle of the road, you really don't have to worry about your speed.
 

OutHouse

Lifer
Jun 5, 2000
36,410
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We used to have many crossover deaths a year on a particular highway. Since they installed these there haven't been any. I think they're a great idea and should be on all highways.

same here. in fact my neighbor lost control of her on a particularly icy nasty day on I-76, crossed the median and hit another car head-on killing the other driver. if those cable barriers were in place it would have prevented the accident.
 

OutHouse

Lifer
Jun 5, 2000
36,410
616
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I do stay on the road. The problem is that in the winter, people are even bigger idiots than normal. I would much rather they took down all the barriers and let Darwin deal with these fools.

god you are a tool and a prick. wishing for people die or get hurt is a prick thing to hope for.
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
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and now an update:

I was 100% right on what would happen. We had our first ever pileup the other day. 20+ cars smashing into each other because one car hit the barrier and then bounced back into traffic. In the old days you would ditch your car if you couldn't stop in time, but with these things in place that isn't an option. Every day on the way to work there are bumpers all along the highway. I've yet to see a single time when these things were any kind of a good thing.

There is one upside. The cops can't cut through the median to give you a ticket and they have to slow down basically to a stop to turn around in one of the designated spots. So unless you see a cop sitting in the middle of the road, you really don't have to worry about your speed.

So how many people would have been killed if the Barriers weren't in place?

There is no down side to them.
 

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,351
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preventing high speed headon most likely fatal collisions is not a positive?

our highways were designed with deep, wide medians. Hell, most of the time if you go in the median, you are going to be up to your axles in mud before you get 1/2 way through. We have cement barriers where the traffic is head-on.

These things were another excuse to burn stimulus money. Never mind the fact that I know 3 people at the minimum who have had to pay outrageous car repair bills because they clipped one of these things. I know 2 people who got hit by people bouncing off them, causing one chick to meet her airbag and another to almost lose her job because she no longer had a car.

So the reality is that these things are doing damage to the people that paid for them.
 

spidey07

No Lifer
Aug 4, 2000
65,469
5
76
zero

There is no up side to them.

You want to dance little lady?

So you're trying to tell me a vehicle traveling 80 mph doesn't have enough energy to cross over and become a stationary object in opposing traffic traveling at 80 mph. Really?

Those barriers save life's, they may save my life as a car, truck or other vehicle weighing several tons coming at me.

Safety first. Since they were installed. On a highway that saw a crossover death every month there have been none.

You can control your vehicle. I can't control others. Give me barriers everywhere. Everywhere. My life is worth more than your inconvienxe
 
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destrekor

Lifer
Nov 18, 2005
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I think its important to note (in case you guys didn't pick this up already) That these cables are not dividing traffic, in Michigan we have about a 20 to 50 foot median with either forest or a large ditch filling this space. In areas where the traffic is close there are typically 6 foot concrete walls (they add additional concrete to the top of normal concrete dividers) Thus, we had no need for these.

I live in NW Ohio, and I drive in Michigan from time to time (admittedly, not anywhere near the Upper Lower, let alone the UP - so the parts of Michigan that are basically uninhabited, well... nobody cares about those areas :p)... you think a 30ft median is enough to stop someone who has no idea how to correct when suddenly without traction and careening across 20-40ft (most medians I have seen, on average, are not much more than 10m at most - which is nothing for a vehicle at speed out of control. grass doesn't offer that much resistance).

We've got similar medians on some roads throughout Ohio.


No solution is perfect. Stop looking for the holy grail of solutions - something has to give, and somebody has to make minor sacrifices. It's that way everywhere, we all bitch and moan, but in reality, we wouldn't like any alternatives.

Highways, traffic flow, right of ways.... none of it is your right, it is a privelege - it you have to suck it up and deal with minor issues on the roadway. You'd really hate some asshole careening across the median and slamming their H1 or H2 into your sedan and, while you live, you lose a girlfriend/wife/child who was a passenger.

Until then, you'll bitch and moan, as everyone does. And you'd bitch and moan if you knew they thought of this plan, decided not to put it into action, then bam shit happens.

There are multiple angles from which to look at these things. A lot of considerations makes it impossible to make everyone happy in most instances, and the people who probably should be most happy will never know how lucky they were (figuring when lives are saved year on year because of these things, that means someone who was "destined" to die has continued everything without a hiccup, never knowing what could have been).
 

rudeguy

Lifer
Dec 27, 2001
47,351
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So you're trying to tell me a vehicle traveling 80 mph doesn't have enough energy to cross over and become a stationary object in opposing traffic traveling at 80 mph. Really?

Those barriers save life's, they may save my life as a car, truck or other vehicle weighing several tons coming at me.

Safety first. Since they were installed. On a highway that saw a crossover death every month there have been none.

You can control your vehicle. I can't control others. Give me barriers everywhere. Everywhere. My life is worth more than your inconvienxe

I debate that. I believe my life is...yours...maybe not so much :p

And I do realize they have the potential to save lives. If they had put them up in areas where a crossover was a possibility, I wouldn't even think twice. If they had put them ten feet off the road instead of six, I'd like them a lot. But our government was hell bent on taking every stimulus dollar they could get and it didn't matter how much it cost us taxpayers. They didn't do this for safety. They did it for the dollars.
 

Slick5150

Diamond Member
Nov 10, 2001
8,760
3
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I'm boggled as to how this thread has anything to do with the stimulus? These things are installed all over the country as a safety device. It had zero to do with your invented scenario about "having to spend money on SOMEthing."

And as someone who lives in Michigan who's life was almost certainly saved by one of these devices, I can say they absolutely DO work as designed.
 

SparkyJJO

Lifer
May 16, 2002
13,357
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I just hate how in some places they put them right up against the left shoulder. Oh great, you can't pull off on the left shoulder if you have a problem and can't get to the right shoulder because the cable is in the way! (left shoulder in many places isn't as wide as the right shoulder and tends to not be a full car width wide). That, and as mentioned there is very little wiggle room so if you do slide you'll slice up your car on that side guaranteed instead of having a chance of just getting the car stuck in the muddy median. And it costs 2x as much.

Putting the cable barriers down the center of the median makes so much more sense. If you have a minor off-road adventure, you'll just hit grass and mud, there is room to pull off the left side if necessary, and 1 barrier serves both sides instead of one per side.

I can think of worse things for the state to waste money on however. Ohio replaced a bunch of signs along the interstate I drove a lot using the "stimulus" money. There was totally nothing wrong with the majority of those signs, but they replaced them all anyway. And not just the signs, but the posts as well. The only real difference in the new signs vs the old was the font was slightly difference. Meanwhile, the highway itself has more potholes :rolleyes:
 
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Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
68,415
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www.anyf.ca
I've seen them used here on parts of the highway where going off would mean death (such as 100 foot drop offs) but on a big divided highway where the speed limit is above 80km/h? No way. Sounds like a recipe for people getting cut in several pieces.