Wire crash barriers on NI roads ‘a hazard to motorbike riders’ group tells department

An organisation representing motorcyclists has met with the Department for Infrastructure to try and convince the authorities that wire crash barriers are a hazard to riders.
By Adam Kula
Published 15th Jul 2020, 21:24 BST
An image of a rider and the wire barrierAn image of a rider and the wire barrier
An image of a rider and the wire barrier

The Motorcycle Action Group, which has around 120 members in Northern Ireland (and about 65,000 across the UK) said it met with official at the department – which controls the Province’s road – earlier this month.

It argues that whilst the wire rope barries are designed to safely stop cars careering off the carriageway, they are a potential deathtrap for bikers.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Martyn Boyd, Northern Ireland representative for the group said that the metal posts which hold the wires into the ground care very jagged and sharp, and the wires themselves can act like cheese-cutters when it comes to the flesh of riders.

Wire barrier on the new south Antrim Larne roadWire barrier on the new south Antrim Larne road
Wire barrier on the new south Antrim Larne road

He said whilst there are no recent examples of fatalities involving bikers and the crash barriers in Northern Ireland, there have been recorded incidents in GB and Europe.

He described the meeting with officials as “positive”, saying that “they understood and accepted our perspective”.

The group says its objective “remains a complete end to the use of wire rope crash barriers”.

A message from the Editor:

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Alistair Bushe

Related topics:Department for InfrastructureProvinceEurope