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Back many years ago, we were driving down a two lane highway in a good old Air Force blue Dodge van. Loaded with maybe 8 airmen. Down the center of the road on
by rootusrootus 2y ago
Back many years ago, we were driving down a two lane highway in a good old Air Force blue Dodge van. Loaded with maybe 8 airmen. Down the center of the road on the yellow line were flexible bollards every couple feet. The area was under construction and the lanes were narrow, and the bollards were to keep drivers alert and in their lane, I guess.
Anyway. Idly chatting with the driver, I asked 'I wonder how sturdy those are, what happens if someone hits them?' A minute or two later, when there was no oncoming traffic, the driver jerked the wheel and put the van in the center of the road. BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM-BAM at 60 mph. Then back in our lane, glances in the rearview mirror, and calmly announces that they go down and stay down.
I nearly crapped myself laughing. What a crazy SOB. Still makes me chuckle at the memory, 30 years later.
There is no point to that story, really, although perhaps that modern flexible bollards like the ones you link to claim to stand back up if they get hit. But do they, if the car is doing 60 mph? Hmmm. Lucky for those bollards, I don't drive a big ugly blue Air Force van. And I'm too much of a rule follower.
- bombcar 2y agoThe yellow ones I’ve interacted with that are permanently glued down will come back up most of the time after a 60-80 mph hit. Eventually they break off.
- throwaway290 2y agoI don't think proper bollards are about making you follow the rules so much as reducing death when you are unable to follow the rules.
- estebank 2y agoIt can be for either. These ones for example are unlikely to stop a truck going at high speed, but will stop someone who doesn't want a repair bill from parking. https://maps.app.goo.gl/sYuNiXN4TqAcsHLg9 https://maps.app.goo.gl/sYuNiXN4TqAcsHLg9
- bombcar 2y agoThose greatly reduce bad parking, but they also do provide some security from lower-speed collisions; yes it's possible for a truck to hit it fast enough to go through it, but it'll do quite a number to a low speed vehicle, and even if it doesn't completely stop it, greatly reduce the velocity if it does hit someone.
- caf 2y agoAlways consider this classic from @worldbollard: https://twitter.com/WorldBollard/status/1560021356858806272 https://twitter.com/WorldBollard/status/1560021356858806272
- TeMPOraL 2y agoYes. Staggering bollards and fake bollards could be an effective cost-saving measure, if for some reason the city finds bollards too expensive to put everywhere. If the drivers know that 10-20% of the bollards are the real deal, they'd steer clear of all of them.
- fblp 2y agoThank you for showing me the world bollard associations Twitter!