Why should you use Passively Safe High Energy (HE) lighting columns in urban areas?

In 2006 a total of 55 people were killed and 339 people were seriously injured hitting lighting columns in single vehicle accidents as recorded by “Road Accidents Great Britain – The Casualty Report".

75% of these deaths and 70% of the serious injuries occurred on built up roads. It is largely an urban problem because lighting columns are predominately used in urban areas.

These urban casualties are not inevitable but would be avoided if passively safe lighting columns were universal. That is not to say that passively safe lighting columns are necessary for all urban roads. Low speed roads in purely residential areas and 20 mph zones in city centres are possibly safe enough with traditional columns. However the aforementioned statistics prove that traditional non passively safe columns are a distinct hazard on A roads, B roads and other busy through routes in urban areas where traffic speeds and traffic levels are high. There is a now a compelling case for targeting these roads for passively safe lighting columns when the existing street lights are due for replacement.

When a car hits a lighting column the prime cause of injury is the initial or primary impact with the lighting column. All passively safe lighting columns tested to EN 12767 will vastly reduce or eliminate this risk. However there are risks of a secondary accident after a car has hit a passively safe lighting column if the vehicle retains some or most of its initial velocity after the impact. These secondary accident risks are:

a) The car careers on and hits a hard object such as a building injuring the vehicle’s occupants in the secondary accident

b) The car careers on and hits a pedestrian, cyclist or other vehicle

c) The falling lighting column hits a pedestrian or cyclist

Accidents to pedestrians or cyclists are of concern to highways authorities as they are perceived to be the innocent party in this type of accident (which they certainly are) and this secondary accident risk has been used as an argument against the adoption of passively safe lighting columns.

Non-passively safe “traditional” lighting columns can still break away on impact or the collision can cause a vehicle to spin out of control or overturn when the impact is not central. “Traditional” lighting columns are no guarantee against secondary accidents as the photograph below so graphically demonstrates.

A collision with a non-passively safe lighting column

(Photo courtesy of Durham Constabulary)

Secondary accidents to pedestrians or cyclists are rare. Never the less highway authorities shy away from using passive safety lighting columns in urban situations as they are wary of secondary accidents.

Most passively safe lighting columns in the UK are NE (No Energy) or LE (Low Energy) products which break away on impact. NE products minimally retard the vehicle in the high speed EN 12767 test and while LE products do slow the vehicle but typically not enough to prevent the vehicle being a danger after the initial impact.

High Energy (HE) columns offer a full solution as they not only tackle the problem of primary accidents but also address secondary accidents. HE columns to EN 12767 severely slow and arrest the progress of the vehicle in an impact with relatively gentle decelerations that do not cause injury to the vehicle’s occupants.

Passively safe high energy lighting columns that meet this criterion will contain the vehicle in an impact. For example, KAPU passively safe HE columns are of patented thin wall and galvanized steel construction utilizing folded plates welded together which enables them to yield and readily flatten on impact relatively gently slowing the impacting vehicle in the impact. A column does not break or shear off on impact but remain embedded in the ground. The column slows the vehicle by being progressively bent and flattened under the vehicle absorbing the vehicles kinetic energy in the process. The presence of continuous small diameter reinforcing bars in the column ensures the column remains in one continuous piece as it deforms.

KAPU Lighting Column after an impact

The photograph demonstrates how the column flattened and deformed as the vehicle passes over the column.

(The column has been removed from the carriageway following impact)

In an urban impact between a car and a HE column:

a) The vehicle will typically be arrested within the length of the column

b) The vehicle occupants will not suffer the same trauma as with an impact with a traditional steel lighting column.

c) The risk of accidents to pedestrians and cyclists are vastly reduced as the vehicle is arrested (for high speeds or heavier vehicles the vehicle will be significantly slowed)

d) The column does not break away thus endangering pedestrians. (LE or NE columns are designed to break away on impact)

In Finland more than 30,000 KAPU lighting columns have been installed since 1994. There have been 434 recorded impacts with KAPU columns over this period with no deaths or serious injuries (as reported by the Finnish Road Administration). As a result of these benefits, passively safe HE columns are used without restriction for all roads in Finland.

Alan Nicholas is the Marketing Director at Sign Post Solutions.

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Signfix have supplied the Traffic Signs industry for over 25 years, firstly with their innovative sign fixing range which set the standard for all to follow.

The Sign Fixings range has been much copied over the years but still remains the most comprehensive and widely used product in the traffic sign industry.

Adding Sign Posts and signal poles to the company’s portfolio was an obvious route for Signfix and led to the company once again breaking new ground by being the first company to offer a Passive Safety product to the traffic sign market - Lattix.

However, Signfixings, Sign Posts and signal poles will remain as key structures within the groups product portfolio and are seen as the bedrock from which the Passive Safety movement developed.

To accommodate an MBO in 2003 Signfix became Signpost Solutions although the Signfix name remained as the brand name for the Signfixing range.

Signpost Solutions are now recognised as the market leader in all things related to traffic sign supports - signposts, Sign Fixings, signal poles and Passive Safety.

Passive Safety is now a regular consideration on all new road designs. It has been recognised as a key safety measure by the Highways Agency to assist in their well publicised 10 year accident reduction target.

Initially just encompassing traffic Sign Posts, Passive Safety has, within the last few years, been rolled out to include Lighting Columns, camera masts and in some instances Variable Message Signs and gantries.

Lattix was the first Passive Safety product installed in the UK and since the inaugural installation in 1995 Signpost Solutions have delivered over 7000 masts from which there has been in excess of 50 RTA’s involving the mast with no reported injuries.

Although considered to be a contradiction in terms, ‘Crash Friendly’ is the new nom de plume for Passively Safe street furniture such as Traffic Signs and Lighting Columns.

The expression ‘Crash Friendly’ evolved from a competition instigated by Ginny Clarke, the former head of safety at the Highways Agency. A number of similar descriptive phrases were entered but ‘Crash Friendly’ was chosen by a small committee of senior engineers from the Highways industry.

The unofficial web site for the industry, the ‘Passive Revolution’ followed up the decision by producing special Crash Friendly tape for fitting to such products that are not immediately recognised as being Crash Friendly or Passively Safe.

Passively Safe Signs were first introduced on the A4 in London by Signfix. The 1995 installation was followed a year later by the first Advance Direction Sign which was trialled in Cheshire by the County Council who were the first authority to realise the life saving potential of Passively Safe Signs.

However, this early success was short lived and although the Passive Safety product was well established in Scandinavia, the UK did not buy into the concept until the beginning of the new Millennium when Lattix Passively Safe Signs were installed on the prestigious A43 Towcester/Silverstone Bypass.

Since then there have been over 7000 Lattix masts installed with over 50 reported non injury accidents.

Lattix is now a regular sight on the UK Highway making the road much safer for the motoring public.

The success of Passively Safe Signs was instrumental in the HA adding Passively Safe Lighting Columns to the revised Advice Note TA89/05.

Passively Safe Lighting Columns are now being considered for many new Highway Schemes by the Highways Agency Managing Agent Contractors and are slowly coming to the attention of local and County street lighting engineers.

Passively Safe Lighting Columns offer similar safety benefits as signage with the added provision of High Energy potential on some types of construction such as KAPU poles.

High Energy (HE) poles are designed to deform on impact but will stop the vehicle rather than allow the vehicle to continue with relatively little retardation which is the hallmark of Non Energy products. HE poles are therefore suitable for any environment.

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Signfix - Having been established since the early 1970s we have a wealth of experience in providing high quality traffic posts, clips and banding for the Uk. Signfix systems is based on the success of the patented sign channel and sign fixing clips. Other products include cantilever systems and steel posts as well as off set brackets and hoop signs. Our services include installation of breakaway mounting systems and sign installation or even lattix and passive safety systems too. In addition we have knowledge of the passive revolution and passive safety. Our expert, friendly staff are always ready to answer your questions and enquiries. Feel free to contact us today.