‘No EU complaints’ about crash barriers

THE National Roads Authority has vehemently denied that the EU has registered repeated complaints about the absence of suitable crash barriers on motorway medians.

NRA head of safety Finbarr Crowley said the EU was unhappy with matters relating to the procurement of crash barriers, in cases where these are used on new road infrastructure.

And recent correspondence between the EU and the NRA related solely to procurement.

He denied that the EU had complained about the use of wide medians rather than crash barriers.

In the past two years, six people have died on the roads in what are commonly called cross-over crashes.

These occur when a car goes out of control and into the pathway of traffic on the opposite branch of the motorway.

There were no clear EU guidelines on crash barriers, said Mr Crowley.

Last night, Irish Road Haulage Association’s Jimmy Quinn said it was a better option in the interests of safety to have crash barriers on motorways.

The NRA has said that where the median is less than 15 metres’ wide crash barriers are normally provided.

Prof Murray Mackay, a researcher at Birmingham University said high-quality crash barriers should be provided on all motorways. In the case of a driver who fell asleep or was drunk, a 15-metre wide median would not prevent an accident.