New campaign shows life-saving barriers in action

A NEW Transport Accident Commission (TAC) campaign is showing the lifesaving capabilities of flexible safety barriers.

At the forefront of the campaign is footage of a controlled collision with a centreline barrier on a high-speed regional road, which replicates a common fatigue crash.

The campaign, ‘Safety Barriers Save Lives,’ also features testimonials from two of the thousands of Victorians who have avoided serious crashes thanks to flexible safety barriers.

The new television ad, voiced over by a real crash survivor, shows footage of a centre-line barrier absorbing the forces of a Ford Territory travelling at 90km/h, preventing a head-on collision.

The vehicle, driven by a stunt driver, hits the barrier and slows by 32km/h in six metres before the driver applies brakes, as if waking up from a micro-sleep, and brings the vehicle to a safe and controlled stop.

TAC road safety director, Samantha Cockfield said, “Showing the public footage of how these barriers work will help us continue to educate Victorians that zero lives lost is possible, which is what Towards Zero is all about.

“Road safety experts viewed the barrier crash test in real time and have taken away crash data that will help refine barriers further, allowing them to be used more widely across the road system.”

VicRoads deputy CEO, Robyn Seymour said, “This footage shows exactly why we’re installing around 2,000km of flexible safety barriers across Victoria – because they save lives.”

Last year, 109 of the 155 people who died on Victorian rural roads were in vehicles that left their lane and crashed into roadside trees or poles, or another vehicle. Research shows flexible barriers reduce these types of crashes from happening by more than 85 percent.