Barriers that do the job

This set of barriers seems to do the job

At a cross-roads in Charing, On this side of the A20 (which passes through the village), and at the mouth of the road to Pluckley.  There are similar crash-barriers on each corner, which are actually placed to protect pedestrians ~ must have been a different engineer from their normal; fellow.    Why at one place and not at so many others?

Getting it right

Getting it right.

A different vantage point clearly illustrates that Highways can get it right, even if they didn't mean to at the time.  This section of barrier on the A2070, offers protection to pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists.   Whilst most of the rest of the barriers don't protect the most vulnerable in our society. 
   

Safety Barrier in France.

Protecting cyclists with a barrier in not a new idea:-

This picture shows a continuous barrier which is designed to protect cyclists and pedestrians, and why not?

Photograph taken in Carnot-Plage, southern France. in 1998.

What or who should a barrier protect?

Some barriers a fussy as to they think they should protect.  The mode of thinking is aimed solely at protecting motorists, and to Hell with pedestrians (the most vulnerable in our society). 

One can see that the barrier below might prevent a vehicle from going down a bank, but its very presence increases danger for pedestrians, and it need not have done.

Pedestrians would a barrier such as this to be really intimidating.

The barrier on the right  here (handrailing) is designed to protect pedestrians at a roundabout. BUT, it is not necessarily popular with cyclists, on or off the road.  Handrailing prevents cyclists from accessing the kerb, and it can snag handlebars.

It is not clear, at this location, whether or not cyclists should stick to the road or carry on, on the pavement  using it as assumed "Shared use"; it is signed as a route into the town centre.  Ideally what is needed is a separate bridge over the River Stour for cyclists. 

They just don't think!

Barrier to make cyclists feel safe

This photo was taken in Germany where they go out of their way to make cyclists feel safe. Where, despite there being a lot more cyclists, there are a lot less casualties..

Note that the barriers are on both sides of this road.

Ema;l exchanges with Kent Highways etc.

I have just re-examined this email from June which had buried and got lost in my in tray.

Obviously some people are able to 'mitigate' a lot more than others. Then
there are those who are able to assess the risks more readily than others,
and act accordingly. It should not be the case to make a situation worse
than it already is, especially as by doing so it would adversely affects the
most vulnerable in our society. If, by a simple application, the risk can
be reduced to both motor-vehicles and pedestrians (and cyclists) at no extra
cost, then why not do it? People should come first wherever possible, not
motor-vehicles.

It is quite obvious to see (on the ground, and from photographs) that some
people (whilst not 100% perfect) can do it, so why not Kent Highwaysor /our
Highways Agency?

Ted Prangnell.  Dec 2013.

----- Original Message -----
From: <Jim.Wedgbury@kent.gov.uk>
To: <tedeprangnell@btinternet.com>
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2013 3:55 PM
Subject: Re: Dangerous Barriers


Ted
You can only ever mitigate risk never eliminate it
Sent from my iPad

On 24 Jun 2013, at 16:51, "Ted Prangnell" <tedeprangnell@btinternet.com>
wrote:

> But there is no need for an added risk to pedestrians to be created if the
> barriers were designed properly. Are they saying that an additional risk
> to pedestrians is acceptable (when it could be avoided)?
>
> [cid:C956ADA8EB2044A198738343A781677A@TedPC]
> On our A251.
> [cid:B9F3FA1A57A343C4AEB22D57AAD9EB2A@TedPC]
> On the Continent.
>
> There are other correct examples, but I haven't got photos of them to
> hand.
>
> Properly designed barriers would protect both motor-vehicles and
> pedestrians, at no extra cost. People should come first!
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----

> To: 'Ted Prangnell'<mailto:tedeprangnell@btinternet.com> ; Alan
> Moultrie<mailto:alan@moultrie.co.uk> ; Brian
JIM WEDGBURY<mailto:jim.wedgbury@kent.gov.uk>
Sent: Monday, June 24, 2013 11:52 AM
 Subject: FW: Dangerous Barriers

 From our County Councillor

 xxxx

 From: Jim.Wedgbury@kent.gov.uk<mailto:Jim.Wedgbury@kent.gov.uk>
 [mailto:Jim.Wedgbury@kent.gov.uk]
 Sent: 24 June 2013 11:26

 Subject: Dangerous Barriers

 Dear XXXXy
 I have had this investigated it is more complicated than it first seems
 Kent highways carried out a safety audit on various sites throughout the
 county and discovered an anomaly in Canterbury road.
 Due to a number of high profile incidents and the need to protect
 motorists from 1 hitting the Bridge parapet direct and killing themselves
 and as well as a need to stop vehicles careering onto the motorway
 following an accident combined with the accident record at this site . all
 these meant an urgent need to put barriers in on this site. The slight
 increase in risk to pedestrians is I am advised is far out weighed by
 reduced risks in the other areas .
 I hope we can promulgate this explanation.
Safety barriers over the M2 Faversham. tn.jpg>
Safety barriers D tn.jpg

Nor does this explain the situation in Simone Weil Avenue, which is blatantly wrong.

Examples of: How crash barriers should protect cyclists and pedestrians.

On this bridge, a cycle-way and pedestrian path are each nice and wide, they are well protected by a safety barrier, AND they are on both sides of the road.
Over the River Weser in Minden, Germany.

A pedestrians at a bus-stop protected by a barrier, near Minden.

A stretch of pavement protected by a barrier positioned at the road edge.

Here again the safety barrier protects pedestrians and cyclists [near Petershagen, Germany]; if they can treat their people with more respect then why can't we?

There were so many examples. 

Shared space, with cyclists and pedestrians, well protected.

There were so many good examples, that one doesn't have to look for them, whilst here (in Kent) one really has to look for them. 

The daft part about it is that, in the above examples, both motor-vehicles, and pedestrians are protected, not juts vehicles, as they mostly are in the UK.

Will our Highways engineers ever learn?