Plenty of them in Oz also.
One of the very few reasons I'm glad I dont have a bike anymore---
Filed under: Etc., Safety, Motorcycles, UK
We aren't conspiracy theorists, and we believe that government usually wants to do the right thing. Nevertheless, we do wonder sometimes how large groups of smart people come up with such dumb ideas. In this case, it's wire rope barriers used to act as a median on rural roads.
The barriers, already in use in Sweden, the Netherlands and New Zealand, are used to prevent head-on collisions between automobiles on narrower roads that don't allow for thick concrete barriers. The UK was in favor of installing them, until a study by a motorcycle group showed that they would be fatal for motorcyclists. In New Zealand, the barriers were nicknamed "cheese cutters" after a 22-year-old motorcyclist encountered them at speed and was sliced in two like a brick of fromage.
Now the Institute of Advanced Motorists, the group that had been lobbying for them in the UK, has withdrawn its endorsement. It now wants to "ensure that any barrier system proposed anywhere on our roads places the safety needs of motorcyclists at the top of the list."
Thanks for the tip, Adam!
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 Swaggie
					
					
						Swaggie
					
					
						Plenty of them in Oz also.
URSUSMAJOR
They have them in Oz too. Slightly different in that the ropes cross over but they would still make a big mess of you.
Yes, recently I was reading a motorcycle magazine and it had an article on this sort of barrier and also ones which grab cars.
Without a pic it is hard to explain but I don't have the picture but it is amazing how the people who take care of our roads don't put motorcyclists even on the list of safety really.
Everything is geared towards cars which is fine if you drive a car but not if your a motorcyclist. And it is a real concern considering motorcycles have no protection to begin with.
Xavier
I've always known them as cheez graters too. There common on the Hume Hwy around Bo ho and Tenerife, Vic.
As I understand the idea is that the posts snap off too obsorb the impact and the cable slows the car down, streches and stops the car bouncing back off.
However I doubt it would budge an inch with an impact from a bike rider.
My opinion, Easo
Just playing devils advocate here but wouldn't the concrete barriers or the metal ones (Are they called amcor or something?) be just as bad for a biker to hit.
With the concrete barriers you're likely to be splattered and with the wire barriers sliced - you still don't have a good chance of surviving an accident where you go into a barrier.
06 SE V6 Discovery 3
You could hit a concrete barrier at a shy angle and even if you break bones there's a good chance you'll survive, the impact is spread over a larger surface area.
Same scenario with a wire rope and you're mozzarella.
just for info, these barriers have been used in the UK for years, mostly on freeways/motorways/highways. I have never seen them on country roads in the UK.
 Wizard
					
					
						Wizard
					
					
                                        
					
					
						its a cost thing, blame the accountants saying that Government should do everything on the cheap,
Govt got safety as public hurt noise on their radar about separating vehicles at high speed from crossing over lanes or going over cliffs, so got to put ins safety barrier of some sort and they got nosie of govt needing to be in surplus so dont spend a lot
Motor bike riders small percentage of road user so can be ignored
Interesting fact is motor bike riders knowing cheese cutter on road and impact likely don't seem to slow down so risk assessment skills must be low or they dont expect to survive a spill from bike at speed regardless of surface travelled on or barriers likely to be encoutnered
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