How Crash Cushions Make Our Roads Safer

The systems are called impact attenuators for a good reason.
Loukia Papadopoulos

Crash Cushions are systems that make our roads safer by protecting vehicles from damage when collisions occur. What they do when effective is absorb kinetic energy and redirect the colliding vehicle away from danger. That's why they are also called impact attenuators. There are plenty of types of crash cushions each with different advantages and features.

For instance, the QuadGuard® M10 consists of an engineered steel nose and crushable, energy-absorbing cartridges surrounded by a framework of steel panels. It can be used to shield hazards 24” to 96” (61 cm to 2.43 m) wide.

In our video, you can watch it in action along with other crash cushions. It's impressive to see how time and time again the cars that hit against the systems are redirected back to the road with minimal damage. Even at fast speeds, the damage to the car is not too severe.

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