The Arizona Department of Transportation is
hoping to shed a little light on the problem of drivers hitting cable barriers
in the medians of its freeways.
The $20 million cable project, which has seen
138 miles of barriers installed, has a flaw – drivers don’t seem to be able to
see them, KVOA-TV reported.
Because of this, state officials are spending
significant amounts of money – up to $1,500 for every cable/vehicle incident – to repair the safety devices.
But now, ADOT is testing more reflective
materials on the cables on a mile of freeway on Loop 101 near Indian School
Road, to see if vehicles are more likely to avoid the dividers if they can see
them better.
“It’s not necessarily a test of the cable
barriers,” Doug Nintzel, a spokesperson for ADOT, told the Arizona Republic. “It’s more of a test of
driver behavior. We’re going to see if an increase in the visibility might keep
more drivers from running into them.”
