Bumpers – business or death? Yasen Ishev in front of FACTI

After another serious accident on the road near Plovdiv, in which the narrowed gauge due to the new bumpers installed again turned out to be a fatal factor, experts are raising the question of how correctly the restraint systems are designed and built in our country. According to traffic police data, accidents in the section have doubled since their installation. In front of FACTI, Eng. Yasen Ishev – Chairman of the Management Board of the Scientific and Technical Union for Transport spoke.

– Mr. Ishev, we are witnessing another serious accident near Plovdiv, in which two parents and one of their children died, and the other child is in serious condition. And again we talk about road safety, and again we learn lessons… How long will it be like this?
– Unfortunately – another serious accident with victims. An exceptional family tragedy.

– What can you say about the section?
– In our opinion – The Scientific and Technical Union for Transport, together with the forum “Balkan Transport and Infrastructure“, we have held several round tables, including on this topic of road restraint systems.

– When are they useful and when are they dangerous?
– Yes, exactly. In most cases they are useful, but in some road sections they are dangerous.

– What exactly is happening in this section and why are the guardrails a problem?
– We have spoken to the designers of the section. They say that this is by assignment and that they comply with the regulations - to place the restraint system at least 50 cm from the edge of the asphalt. But this road has no gauge for the traffic that passes there. The dynamic gauge has narrowed even more and according to the traffic police, accidents have doubled compared to the period before the installation of the guardrails.

– What is a “dynamic gauge“?
– This is the actual gauge that cars have when they are moving. It is always smaller than the clear gauge, because the regulatory framework includes a safety zone and drivers instinctively move away from an obstacle, especially when it is high and massive. This way they enter more into the oncoming traffic, especially on narrow roads with a small gauge.

– That is, visually the obstacle makes them move?
– Exactly. The clear gauge may seem sufficient, but the dynamic gauge – the one that the driver perceives as safe – is smaller. When there is nowhere to stop or turn, the situation becomes tragic.

– Are these 50 cm mandatory?
– This is the minimum distance. They can also be placed at 1 m or 1.50 m, which would ease traffic and increase safety. But in our country, the minimum is chosen, which is the easiest to implement.

– Does last year's regulation provide for such guardrails everywhere?
– Yes, the regulation allows them to be placed everywhere. This is good business for certain companies. Under the pretext of “road safety“ huge amounts of money are spent on steel restraint systems, without thinking about whether they are necessary and safe.

– Why do you say “steel“ – there are other types?
– Yes, there are also concrete or reinforced concrete restraint systems of the “New Jersey“ type. They are used in the USA, EU, Greece, Turkey, Serbia, Spain, even in Albania. Only in Bulgaria are they almost not used. And at the facility on the 4th kilometer of Tsarigradskoto Shosse in Sofia, these concrete systems have been standing for over 50 years and are in excellent condition. We see the same thing at the tunnel for the Lyulin residential area, after its repair. No one crashes into them, they do not need maintenance or replacement.

– What is the difference between concrete and steel guardrails?
– Concrete ones are as safe and stable as steel ones, and they require almost no maintenance. Their standards cover all requirements for holding vehicles. They have certificates of tests and everything necessary for their use. Steel ones are preferred for business reasons - they are easier to manufacture, install, and require maintenance and replacement, which costs a lot of money, of course.

– So concrete ones are cheaper and are still just as safe, but we install guardrails because this is business. Is that how it works?
– Yes, that's right. There is an alternative to steel guardrails, but in our country we prefer them and the credit for this goes to the clients.

- Does the choice of installing guardrails depend on the RIA?
– Entirely because the RIA determines the design tasks. Concrete systems could have been used on new highways, especially in the median strip, as is standard in other countries, but this is not done. In the green strip between the lanes of highways and expressways, they should also be concrete everywhere. They are safer, and their maintenance is almost zero.

– Then why are they not used en masse in our country?
– There is a “mantra“ that concrete systems do not pass “crash“ tests. This is false. All manufacturers have the necessary certificates. But for “inexplicable“ reasons, the RIA does not want to assign their use – neither on new nor on old sections.

– Why were wide sections of highways closed, where it is planned that an airplane can land if necessary?
– In 2008, the Ministry of Transport initiated a correspondence and received permission to close the wide sections. For three years, no one took action and made it possible for travelers to benefit from this - to make these sections of the highway homogeneous, and not with a speed limit of 80 km/h. Due to an accident on the "Hemus" highway in the Varna section with victims in 2010, they urgently installed restrictive systems before the New Year. But they did not close them with movable concrete restrictive systems, as required by the permit, but closed them with steel fences - the easiest and most inappropriate option. If they ever have to open, removing them will be extremely difficult.

– How many such places are there in the country?
– On „Trakia“ – two. On „Hemus“ – one or two. There are also on other roads, but they are not as important and dangerous.

– The people of Plovdiv want the barrier removed. Is this reasonable?
– Completely reasonable and mandatory. The barrier should be removed on the entire section – not just at the scene of the accident. This is a short-term measure. Of course, by a commission with the participation of independent road safety auditors.

– And then?
– If there is no project prepared for the expansion of the ring road, one should be started immediately. This road should become a four-lane road with emergency pockets – there the traffic is almost like on a highway. It needs to be urgently designed and implemented in stages. A Road Safety Audit should be carried out on the existing section and a new permanent traffic organization should be organized, because, as I have already said, accidents have doubled since the installation of the restriction system. This is indicative that these restriction systems, instead of making the road safer, have made it more DANGEROUS!