To do this, researchers performed a crash test using a Rivian R1T pickup traveling at 60 mph and a guardrail, with somewhat alarming results.
The 7,000-pound pickup essentially “tore through” the guardrail – which is made from 12-gauge corrugated steel attached to 6-inch deep steel posts – and didn’t slow down much after the fact
There are some things questionable with the way they present their findings. That guardrail is a W shape (2 humps) guardrail. Any where where the speed limit is above 45mph the W-shape would only be used from the terminator to the T-beam (3 humps) transition. Some DOTs may use a W-shape for extended tangents along less critical warranting areas. - point being - you can't slam a 7k lb truck at 60 mph into a railing that is only used in limited low risk areas and tell us that we're all going to die. I will admit though, the way that truck blew through at a pretty shallow angle is of concern. maybe because the EV carries the weight so low?
ReplyDeleteI also hate that I suspect that everything my government tells me is straight up BS or, at best, a grey agenda.
So either beef up guardrails everywhere, or encourage sales of vehicles that won't plow through them in an accident.
ReplyDeleteThe underlying problem is that there is some sort of vehicular arms race going on, where people buy monster size SUVs and pickup trucks presumably to be safer in an accident, while making traffic less safe for other road users.