Truck Mounted Attenuators: 3 Features to Look For
With over 810,052 km of roads and only 44,262 km of rail tracks in Australia, the infrastructure is constantly expanding. Existing roads need to be repaired and maintained regularly in order to ensure optimal performance and efficiency. All trucks that are used for traffic control require truck mounted attenuators according to the National Approach to Traffic Control at Work Sites. Truck mounted attenuators (TMA) are crash cushion devices that are responsible for reducing damage to the trucks and to the personnel during motor vehicle collisions. Here are 3 features that you should look for when choosing which truck mounted attenuators best suit your needs.
Meet Set Standards
For road safety, numerous standards have already been set regarding which types of truck mounted attenuators are suitable for commercial roads. Some of the set standards will include:
- high visibility. The rear of the attenuators must be highly visible even during the night. It is crucial to find truck mounted attenuators that have retro-reflective tape on their surfaces and flashing yellow lights that draw attention to their location.
- meeting the requirement of having a minimum rated design speed of 100km/hr suggested in the TL-3 evaluation criteria.
- having a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 15 tonnes according to a bill passed by the government road authorities in both Queensland and NSW.
- having all test level ratings and other information clearly displayed on both side panels of the attenuators. The information should be displayed in black lettering.
- being fitted with high strength steel headboards that have the ability to prevent debris and other particulates from crashing into the cabin during high energy impact situations.
There are numerous additional standards that are outlined by the national TMA guidelines. You will want to refer to the guidelines when deciding which truck mounted attenuators will be able to best do the job and meet all of the established requirements. Those who fail to comply with the guidelines will be fined and penalized accordingly due to the fact that the trucks are not considered safe for the road.
Anti-Rotational Dampeners
The anti-rotational dampeners are designed to lock the truck mounted attenuators into place, so that they cannot rotate or move about. The anti-rotational dampeners are specifically designed for combatting angled impact. And they will maximize the effectiveness and security of the truck mounted attenuators and prevent the vehicles from getting propagated to the adjacent lanes or to nearby vehicles—causing secondary accidents. The anti-rotational dampeners are also able to distribute impact evenly across all surfaces of the frame of the truck.
Be Filled with Materials that Will Absorb Impact
The force from the impact needs to be displaced in order to reduce injuries and damages. High quality truck mounted attenuators are typically made from aluminum boxes that are filled with a type of aluminum honeycomb material. The aluminum will easily collapse on itself upon impact and absorb the majority of the applied energy.
Look at not only the type of materials that are used to fill the truck mounted attenuators, but also the designs that they have been installed in. Aluminum is generally one of the best materials for absorbing the energy from the impact to reduce injuries to all parties that are involved in the motor vehicle accident.
Conclusion
For traffic control purposes, it is crucial to mount attenuators to all trucks that are involved with road work whether it be using the truck mounted attenuators to close a lane or to direct traffic in a mobile situation. Truck mounted attenuators need to be inspected for damages regularly according to the guidelines, as they are responsible for keeping the roads safe and from reducing severity of collisions.