There are many different situations that require road safety barriers, both permanent situations and temporary solutions. They’re in place to help protect pedestrians, traffic workers and other road users from accidents whilst also directing traffic in the right direction. In this article, we take a look at several different road safety barriers, the advantages and disadvantages of each type and how they can be used to provide protection and direct traffic in different situations.
Traffic cones
Traffic cones are one of the most commonly used barriers for road safety. They’re highly versatile, easy to move around and are used in many different situations, not only to help direct traffic. Traffic cones can be used to indicate hazards on construction sites, wet floors and holes in car parks or uneven flooring. There are some disadvantages of traffic cones, mainly their portability which also means they’re prone to being moved around and can easily be knocked down by cars. Therefore traffic cones aren’t a permanent solution and don’t provide much protection to pedestrians or workers. They’re more of an indicator of traffic and should only be used as a temporary solution when other barrier options aren’t possible.
Plastic barriers
Plastic barriers are another popular method for directing traffic and pedestrians. These barriers easily fit together and are environmentally friendly as they’re made from recycled plastic. Plastic barriers are created in bright colours and include reflective panels to make them more visible to drivers and pedestrians. The ability to connect these plastic barriers quickly to form a fence makes them useful for roadworks and areas that need temporary solutions to direct traffic. Festivals are also another place where this type of barrier is useful, they’re large enough to stop pedestrians from climbing over them or trying to move them, and they can be erected and put down quickly if the needs of the festival or event change.
Water filled barriers
Water filled barriers have the portability of plastic barriers when empty and the strength of concrete barriers when they’re filled. This makes them ideal for protecting workers from road traffic and keeping pedestrians safe from vehicles on a site which uses large, dangerous vehicles, such as in the construction industry. These barriers will be detailed in a traffic control plan which helps to direct traffic around temporary construction sites, road closures and other hazards. The water filled barriers can be positioned by hand quickly onsite in a line or a curved structure. To make them strong enough to withstand traffic collisions, they’re filled with water, which makes them very heavy and impossible to move by hand. Once the barrier is no longer needed, it can be emptied and reused for a different site. These barriers are also created in high visibility colours with reflective areas that improve visibility. The main disadvantage of this type of barrier is the amount of water they use, which can be seen as a waste of natural resources.
Concrete barriers
Concrete barriers are ideal for situations where empty properties need to be protected from unauthorised access, to shield workers from road traffic and to protect pedestrians from cars and other vehicles. Concrete barriers are more resilient than plastic barriers and a more permanent solution, ideal for long stretches of roadworks. Concrete barriers need to be installed by machine and can’t be positioned by hand. They’re incredibly strong and will stop cars in their tracks, causing damage to any car that crashes into the barrier. Concrete barriers can join together to create a straight or curved line, whichever best suits the situation. Workers are well protected from any oncoming vehicles when working behind a concrete barrier. The disadvantage of this barrier type is it's not easy to move and requires placement by machine.
Barriers are essential for many different applications; these are four of the most commonly used barrier types for directing pedestrians and traffic. The barriers most suitable for your situation will depend on what you’re trying to achieve, how fast the traffic is flowing and how temporarily the measures need to be in place. A professional supplier will be able to advise on the best barrier for your circumstances and give you the price options for each type of barrier.