Why Must Highways Have Guardrails?

Why Must Highways Have Guardrails?

Highway guardrails are not just there to enhance road scape aesthetics. They perform a far more functional critical purpose than just hug the edges of pavement. In layman’s terms, they are there to ensure sleepy drivers don’t drift off the edge into a chasm, a ravine, or into passersby at sharp turns!

If you’re headed for a vehicle collision or an impaired driver is at the wheel, the best thing to happen is to have a guard hold you back from imminent danger and endless claims filing at the insurance office. Florida Roadway Guardrail & Signs specializes in code-compliant signage & collision protection pavement design, and this is what we’ve to go to say about road guardrails!

They Divert You From The Real Damage

There are many elements on the road like utility poles, electrical boxes, signage, bridge piers & retaining walls. Even though they are obstacles that can contain a drifter car, they cause more fatalities due to their lack of impact design. Therefore, guard rails are used.

Guardrails Are Tried & Tested

They look like grooved metal railings on flimsy-looking balusters, but these rails are tested at collision velocities of 60mph. That is enough to stem the severity of any accidents, crashes, or contain a drifting car.

The Guardrail Is A Piece Of The Whole System

The rail is not the sole active element here. Everything from the area covered, the angle, the rail design, the balusters used, right down to the rail composition & its connection to the posts are method tested for high-impact environments. Next time you’re on the highway, never take these rails for granted as a photo prop!

The Guard Rail Absorbs & Disperses Force

If you are familiar with the three-point seatbelt all too revolutionary to car makers – well, think of the guard rails as such thing, except it’s for cars, trucks, maybe even military equipment. The rail’s end terminals are treated to absorb the kinetic energy from the colliding vehicle to decelerate it without any shock rebounding onto the car.

There Is A Limit To Guardrail Tolerances

There is a reason why we specialize in MUTCD road signage because often, the rail is not enough. Drivers need to be visually warned (via speed limit & terrain indicative signage) to adhere to a specific top speed on highways for their safety. The speed limits are enforced so that in a collision, crash, or traction loss, the vehicle is always within 50-60mh. That is the design tolerance of highway guardrails.

The Truth Of The Matter Is…

Safety is critical for road-worthy travelers. If an individual has a vehicle with undiagnosed issues, is a daredevil, or is an exhausted fleet operator hauling long hours, there is a statistical possibility of mishaps occurring around uneven terrain. Having guardrails means you get home to your family safe & sound, even if your car had a driving accident.

There is no restriction to where you can put guardrails. If your neighborhood has sharp or blind turns with no signage or railings, you best be voicing your concern to us to be an uplifting member of the community. Florida Roadway Guardrail & Signs actively dispense life-saving, collision curbing roadside elements in Stuart, FL

Check in with our representative for more details on guardrail & MUTCD signage. Free quotations are guaranteed!