Cable Barriers for North Dakota Highways ? Yep it’s coming
In an effort to limit car fatalities when crashed into the median, they might have increased the possibility of motorcycle fatalities. Here's the story.
After extensive research, the North Dakota highway authority plans to install cable barriers to all North Dakota highways from Fargo to Bismarck to Grand Forks this summer. Construction will cost 6 million with 90 percent of the funding coming from the federal government and 10 percent from the state.
Brad Berg a bismarck Motorcycle rider had this to add vis The Bismarck Tribune:
"Fast forward to summer, it's not going to be car parts laying in the ditch, it's going to be body parts if motorcycles hit that barrier," Berg said.
"If someone takes it upon themselves to put this hazard into the ditch, then they're going to be responsible for anybody that loses a limb or a life."
Berger said NDDOT's research has shown that motorcycle riders would be on the ground before reaching the barrier in the event of a crash.
"According to the data, what we found is that most riders during a crash are actually separated from the motorcycle soon after leaving the pavement," Berger said. "By the time they would reach the barrier, they would have already been basically on the ground."
I guess there's a valid argument there on both sides. Hopefully, there doesn't come an example that Berger can point to in the future as an I told you so argument.