How To Choose The Right Crash Cushion For Your Next Project
In this blog article, we discuss in detail about what is the purpose of a crash cushion, its types, and what factors you should consider before selecting one.
What is the Purpose of a Crash Cushion?
Crash cushions serve as a protective barrier during accidents. Their primary goal is to absorb the impact force, minimise the severity of crashes, and ensure the well-being of individuals and structures alike. By strategically placing these cushions, a crucial layer of defence is created on roads, which promotes safer journeys for everyone involved.
How to Choose Crash Cushions?
Now that you know what a crash cushion and its purpose is, the next step is to assess the basic requirements when selecting a crash cushion:
Understanding Road Type and Other Factors
To keep things safe on the road, you should start by looking at three key factors: the road type, traffic, and potential crash scenarios. Road type matters because different roads have different needs. Traffic helps us understand how busy the road is, and potential crash scenarios help us predict what kind of accidents might happen. These factors will also directly influence your choice of crash cushion and will make the selection process straight forward.
Matching Crash Cushion to Impact Severity
Considering the speed limit and potential impact energy, you should match it to how hard a crash might be. It’s about choosing the perfect defence for each road’s unique challenges, ensuring that your safety measures are just right for the specific risks you might face.
Other Considerations
You should keep in mind after understanding what is a crash cushion that there are some other considerations to check before selection:
- Make sure the crash cushion follows all safety rules and has the right certifications. This ensures it’s reliable and does its job well in real situations. Checking for compliance means the crash cushion has passed strict tests and meets the standards for safety.
- Check how good the crash cushion is at slowing down vehicles, guiding them away safely, and ensuring safety after an impact. This evaluation will ensure that the crash cushion provides effective protection.
- Choose crash cushions that are easy to set up and don’t need a lot of maintenance. This priority will ensure practicality, making it simpler to manage over time.
- Select a crash cushion that causes minimal disruption to traffic during installation and afterwards. This choice helps in efficiently managing the flow of traffic.
- Choose crash cushions made from strong materials to make them last longer, reducing the need for constant replacements and repairs. This ensures durability, making the crash cushion a reliable and cost-effective solution over time.
- Ensure the crash cushion strikes a balance between being safe and cost-effective within the project budget. This favours protection without overspending, making it a practical choice for safety and financial considerations.
Top Crash Cushions
After understanding what is a crash cushion and the different road safety barriers, it’s time to select from the various crash cushion types:
Absorb-M Crash Cushion Hire
The Absorb-M Crash Cushion is a highly versatile road barrier. Its narrow design, at just 67cm wide, allows for safe deployment in tight working spaces while ensuring road safety. This crash cushion system offers quick installation, easy deployment, and removal and doesn’t require ground anchoring.
It’s suitable for speed limits up to 60 km/h (TL-2 model) or 80 km/h (TL-3 model), making it a dependable choice to protect both road workers and drivers.
QuadGuard M10 Crash Cushion
The QuadGuard M10 Crash Cushion is a smart safety solution equipped with advanced technology. It protects against hazards between 610mm to 915mm wide using a robust steel nose and crushable energy-absorbing cartridges.
This crash cushion is compliant with MASH Test Level 3 standards, ensuring high-level protection. Its self-supporting steel nose, backup tension struts, and monorail guide stabilisers add stability and smooth operation, making it a top choice for road safety.
Raptor Crash Cushion
The Raptor Crash Cushion is a safety device that lessens the impact when vehicles hit utility poles or trees. Using unique technology, it provides a compact and cost-effective solution, perfect for places where regular crash cushions might not fit. With excellent control and energy absorption, the Raptor is an ideal way to protect utility poles and trees while meeting safety standards.
Smart Crash Cushion
The Smart Crash Cushion provides top-notch protection with a MASH TL-3 rating. Unlike traditional designs, it absorbs impact energy without getting damaged, making it durable and safe. It enhances safety, reduces worker exposure to traffic, needs minimal maintenance, and works well in high-impact zones. Easy resets and a focus on safety make it the ideal choice for effective traffic management.
SLED Crash Cushion
The SLED Crash Cushion is a slim, water-filled barrier for the end of temporary barriers in work zones. With TL-3 MASH approval, it lowers the risk of secondary accidents, deploys and retrieves quickly, and stays durable with UV-stabilised construction. Boosting safety for both workers and motorists in construction areas it’s a smart choice.
Conclusion
If you’re still unsure after knowing what is a crash cushion and how to choose it, don’t worry; RPM Hire is here to help. Being in the business for over a decade now, we have worked, analysed, and experienced different real-world scenarios. With our time-tested and proven strategies, we can suggest the most desirable crash cushion options according to your site’s particular needs.
So, contact us and let RPM Hire guide you to the right safety solution!
