Editorial 2 - Killer Sign Posts!

Government statistics show that road signs and traffic signals are lethal, in fact the most recently published statistics for 2001 showed that there were 38 fatalities and 277 serious injuries in collisions with them.

With an average value of prevention per casualty estimated at £1,194,240 per fatality and £134,190 per serious injury these accidents are costing the country over £82 million per year!

Protecting each and every sign is hardly the solution because during the same period in 2001 crash barriers actually caused more fatalities and injuries than the signposts did so a new idea from Scandinavia called Lattix is being hailed as the answer because it bends on impact and does not need a crash barrier to protect it which will save the taxpayer on both fronts.

First developed in Norway during the 1990's, Lattix, so called because of its aluminium Lattice style construction, is a sign support structure with a difference.When hit by a vehicle leaving the road, the Lattix post progressively crumples, absorbing and dissipating the vehicles energy before shearing from its specially designed baseplate; this action cushions the vehicles occupants from the massive deceleration forces that so often result in death or serious injury.

Although Lattix has undergone dozens of crash tests to gain European approval nothing beats reality, so when the driver of a Ford Mondeo lost control and careered off the A404(M) at speed and hit one of the first trial Lattix post installations it was rewarding for the authorities to discover only minor vehicle damage and no injuries to the vehicles three occupants; quite a result and not missed by the Highways Agency who are keen to use passively safe signposts to meet their accident prevention targets and reduce the country's reliance on steel barriers.

For more information about Lattix contact Alan Nicholas 0121 557 0440 a.nicholas@signfix.co.uk