ATSSA Signal Jan/Feb 2019

American Traffic Safety Services Association 6 ATSSA News Guardrails save lives every day on our nation’s roadways, and they’re an integral part of roadway safety infra- structure. But due to some unfortunate and isolated incidents, guardrails have come under intense media scrutiny in recent months. We know the statistics: Roadway de- parture crashes account for over 50 percent of vehicle traffic fatalities, and guardrails reduce fatalities and serious injuries in these crashes by 26 percent. Cross-median barriers can reduce in- juries in crashes by 81 percent. In short, we know guardrails save lives. One of the challenges the guardrail and median barrier segment of the roadway safety infrastructure industry faces is that when someone hits a guardrail in a crash and it saves them from being killed or seriously injured, that informa- tion is not always collected or shared with the public. In ATSSA’s work through the toward zero deaths Initiative and the 2017 case study “Safety Benefits of Median Barrier and Roadside Guardrail” we shared some of those stories. Stories like TereciaWilson’s, whose family was saved from a deadly head-on collision because of a cable bar- rier, or ATSSA customer service repre- sentative Bianca Harris, who avoided a serious collision when her car hydro- planed, need to be told to share the life- saving benefits of guardrail and median barrier with the public. Another challenge we face relates to proper installation and maintenance of guardrails once they’ve been installed. Many state departments of transporta- tion (DOTs) do not have the resources to consistently inspect roadway safety infrastructure following installation or incidents that could impact the effec- tiveness of the device. This can make a significant difference when a car hits that guardrail or barrier. This conversa- tion about proper installation and main- tenance is something that needs to be communicated to the public. As part of our commitment to the road- way safety infrastructure industry, ATSSA launched a campaign titled “Guardrails Save Lives” on Nov. 8 to have those dis- cussions with the public and the media. The campaign will run through April on social media, sharing stories of those impacted by guardrail and median bar- rier, facts that support their lifesaving benefits, and resources that demon- strate how guardrails save lives. During this campaign, it’s important that ATSSAmembers fromall segments stand together and show their support for the roadway safety infrastructure industry. Be on the lookout for these posts on ATSSA’s Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn in the coming months, and like, retweet, and share these posts to show your support. Remember, we all have a common message—Safer Roads Save Lives. To learn more about the Guardrails Save Lives campaign, visit GuardrailsSaveLives. ATSSA.com. #GuardrailsSaveLives This conversation about proper installation and maintenance [of guardrail] is something that needs to be communicated to the public. Right: Guardrails Save Lives is a national awareness campaign that shares information and stories of how guardrails and median cable barrier save lives on our nation’s roadways. ATSSA President & CEO Roger Wentz LIKE COMMENT SHARE