Many drivers become stressed out when they have to pass through work zones on highways or on multi-lane federal roads. Normally the usual cruising speed has to be reduced considerably and road signs and speed limits have to be observed more carefully. The lanes become narrow, trucks come dangerously close and often the only protection from the oncoming traffic is a thin road marking.
In work zones, high concentration and good driving skills are required from the driver. For this reason it is important that work zones are constructed suitably and that visual guiding elements are also provided for the driver.
In work zone areas, on multi-lane highways and federal roads, a simple and easy installable system provides maximum traffic safety: the modern steel barrier MiniGuard from V&R. The system has been successfully tested by the federal highway research institute (BASt) and complies with the requirements of containment levels T1, T2 and T3 according to DIN EN 1317, part 2.
With a modern steel barrier like MiniGuard, the guiding function represents a substantial safety aspect. This applies especially to narrow and often winding and curved, work zone areas where good visibility of traffic and barrier is also required in cases of darkness, rain or fog. For this reason MiniGuard is equipped with reflectors made of weatherproof plastic in the upper section, as well as in the foot section. No additional marking tapes to the right or left side of the system are required because they are replaced by the reflectors in the foot section. Furthermore, the system can be equipped with plug-on-bollards in order to improve the optical guidance even more.
The lower part of the system is trafficable and also additionally available, for the measurement of the lane width (planning width acc. to TL-TS 97). In case of an impact, the vehicle drives on the lower section and the weight of the vehicle serves as stabilisation of the system. In this way, the vehicles and the barrier are prevented from turning over and the impacting vehicles are smoothly redirected by MiniGuard. They are directed into the right direction and decelerated under control. The de- and acceleration values, directly affecting the occupants, are extremely minor.
