Introduction to Passive

Safety

Dave Auld
Graduate Engineer
Passive safety…..

• What is it and why is it important?

• How do passively safe structures perform in a

collision?

• Costs

• Deciding when passively safe structures are required

• Other roadside features to consider

What is passive safety?

• Passive safety is the concept of designing as safe a roadside environment as

possible in order to reduce the severity of collisions involving errant vehicles.

• Approximately one in five of all fatal or serious injuries are associated with an
unforgiving roadside environment.

• Passively safe street furniture is specifically designed, and proven through

testing, to provide less resistance during impact and avoid sudden
decelerations which might result in injury to vehicle occupants.

• First passively safe structures developed in Scandinavia in late 1980s.

Available in the UK from around 1995.
Why is it important?
• Highways Act (1980)
Local Authorities have a duty of care to aid the safe passage of traffic on the
highway.

• Road Death Investigation Manual 2007

Road death = unlawful killing until proven otherwise

As depth of investigations has increased, highways infrastructure has attracted

greater scrutiny.

‘The layout of a road, its associated facilities and features and its state of
maintenance/repair can all be contributory to the occurrence and severity of a road traffic
collision……The performance of a highway authority responsible for the road where a
collision has taken place is a vital consideration during such investigations…’
What structures are ‘deemed to comply’?
• Steel posts of up to 89mm diameter, with a wall
thickness of up to 3.2mm, are classified as
passively safe.

• Where post sizes exceed these measurements,

a passively safe product or material should be
considered, especially where the speed limit
is 50mph or over.

60mph crash test with 114mm post

How do passively safe supports perform in a
collision?

Category HE Supports
(mainly for tall supports)

Category LE Supports

Category NE Supports
Costs
• Sign posts approx 3 x more expensive, light columns approx 2 x more expensive
than traditional steel equivalents, but…........

• Longer, maintenance-free lifespan than conventional posts. Corrosion Resistant.

• Using passively safe structures may negate the need for a safety barrier.

• Designing Safer Roadsides – A Handbook for Highway Engineers (published

2008):
“Protecting a small/medium sized conventional sign supported by steel posts with
45 metres of safety fencing (including providing a suitable energy absorbing end
terminal) can cost about £5,000. The cost of using passively safe signposts for the
same sign could be between about £2,000 and £4,000 for one or two Lattix posts,
giving a potential overall saving of between £1,000 and £3,000.”
Deciding when to use passively safe structures

• Is it necessary?

• Can it be installed passively safe?

• Can it be protected by vehicle restraint barrier?

• Passively safe equipment should be installed

 Signs &
Lighting
Columns
Stone/brick gateway structures
often used to signal entry into a
village or traffic calmed area.

Consequences of a collision likely

to be severe for occupants of a Broadly two passively safe types to
vehicle or a motorcyclist. choose from – aluminium and composite.
NYCC
Stone
gateways Passive Safety Protocol Motorcycles
Key Challenges
Approximately 900 KSIs per year in single Even passively safe street furniture is
vehicle collisions with trees in Great Britain. likely to cause serious injury or death if hit
by a motorcyclist, even at modest speeds.
Vehicles can be protected from impacts
with trees at high risk locations by Products such as Biker Mate and
TreeFend. Bike Guard developed to protect
motorcyclists in low to moderate
speed impacts.

9 Trees
What products are available?
Aluminium
•E.g. Lattix. Energy absorbent lattice construction
•Designed to progressively crumple upon impact
then shear at the footplate.
•Recyclable and less prone to corrosion.

Composite
•Inner layer of glass reinforced plastic and outer layer of
polyurethane plastic. Injected with polyester resin for strength.

•Significantly lighter than steel and aluminium equivalents

•Maintenance free and corrosion resistant - marketed as having a

lifespan of over 60 years.
 Signs &
Lighting
Columns
Stone/brick gateway structures
often used to signal entry into a
village or traffic calmed area.

Consequences of a collision likely

to be severe for occupants of a Broadly two passively safe types to
vehicle or a motorcyclist. choose from – aluminium and composite.
NYCC
Stone
gateways Passive Safety Protocol Motorcycles
Key Challenges
Approximately 900 KSIs per year in single Even passively safe street furniture is
vehicle collisions with trees in Great Britain. likely to cause serious injury or death if hit
by a motorcyclist, even at modest speeds.
Vehicles can be protected from impacts
with trees at high risk locations by Products such as Biker Mate and
TreeFend. Bike Guard developed to protect
motorcyclists in low to moderate
speed impacts.

11 Trees
 Protocol in Action -
Signposts

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 QUESTIONS?

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