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What is a road restraint system (RRS)? A Road Restraint System is a safety product, which aims at reducing the consequences of accidents of an errant vehicle. Road restraint systems can be divided in: Road safety barriers – the road barriers are placed along the roadside or on the central reserve; their role is to prevent errant vehicles from crashing on roadside obstacles, and to retain them safely. Crash cushions – the crash cushions are collapsible structures that prevent vehicles (usually cars) from impacting specific hazardous sections (eg: the beginning of the central reserve). They safely stop the vehicle, avoiding worse consequences. Terminals for road safety barriers – Terminals are the ending part of a safety barrier; their role is to avoid those parts from becoming dangerous points for vehicles. Motorcycles protections systems – MPS represent an integrated system or an upgrade which, if applied on a road safety barrier, can reduce the consequence of impact for a motorcyclist after falling. Transition between 2 safety barriers – Transitions are products which connect two safety barriers, guaranteeing structural continuity and a correct passage from the performance of the first barrier to the following one without creating black spots in those critical points Each of those products have to comply with several safety requirements, which takes into account the safety of the occupant involved in the crash as well the safety of incoming traffic, both on the same lane and on the opposite one, depending on their location (lateral/central). To assess those requirements, crash tests must be performed on each of those products (2 to 6, depending on the type of product); they aim at recreating ideal situations representative of the worst possible real-case that may happen in real-life, considering the “state-of-the-art” of crash-testing technology, the repeatability of the tests and, of course, the need to assess reliable safety features.

What is the EN1317?

EN 1317 is a European Norm etablished in 1998 that defines common testing and certification procedures for road restraintsystems. The use of the CE marking coming from its part 5 is mandatory for each EU nation as from January 2011. It’s important to point out that EN1317 do not states which barriers should be used in one or another situation, but it states which test a product should undergo to be in a certain performance class and what are the safety levels (ASI, THIV, etc..) and the classes of performance (based on different parameters).

An overview of the EN1317 EN1317 defines levels of performance: each user should evaluate, every time, which features he needs when choosing a safety barrier; those features are defined by the test outputs described in this norm, and they represent: • The performance class of the product (for which vehicles it is tested and under which conditions) • The “safety level” of the product under impact (through bio-mechanical indexes it is possible to rate the probability of

injuries resulting from an impact with the product) • The space needed for its smooth operation (how much space it ‘takes’ during the impact, the amount of deformation

after the impact...) For each situation, it is generally preferrable to use a system whose working width is lower than the available space (for example on the edge of a cliff), while at the same time, ensuring appropriate safety features. In the same way, the containment level is chosen depending on the type of vehicle cicrculating on a specific road and according to the current risks (for example, falling off a bridge, entering pedestrian sidewalks or compromising the integrity of buildings).

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EN1317: A detailed description EN1317 is divided into different parts, each of which takes care of a different aspects or a different kind of product: • EN 1317 Part 1: Terminology and general criteria for test methods • EN 1317 Part 2: Performance classes, impact test acceptance criteria and test methods for safety barriers and vehicle

parapets • EN 1317 Part 3: Performance classes, impact test acceptance criteria and test methods for crash cushions • ENV 1317 Part 4: Performance classes, impact test acceptance criteria and test methods for terminals and transitions

of safety barriers * • EN 1317 Part 5: Product requirements and evaluation of conformity for vehicle restraint systems • TR 1317 Part 6: Pedestrian parapets • TS 1317 Part 8: Motorcycle road restraint systems which reduce the impact severity of motorcyclist collisions with

safety barriers

What is Containment Level? Containment level indicateds the containment capacity of the system. Each containment level is defined by the crash tests that the road barrier has to withstand. Each new barrier has to be tested at least twice, once with a light vehicle in order to detect the severity of the impact on a small-size car and the second one with a heavier vehicle in order to define the maximum impact energy that the system can withstand. The containment levels are classified according to the growing energy of impact of the heaviest vehicle tested. From the results of these crash tests, all the parametres defiining the performance of the system are calculated. A restraint system, in order to 'pass' the crash test, needs to fulfill a series of requirements: • The safety barrier shall contain and redirect the vehicle without complete breakage of the principal longtidunal

elements of the system • Elements of the safety barrier shall not penetrate the passenger compartment of the vehicle

• Deformations of, or intrusion into the passenger compartment that can cause serious damage are not permitted

• The centre of gravity of the vehicle shall not cross the centreline of the deformed system

• The vehicle must not roll over (including rollover of the vehicle onto its side) during or after impact, although rolling

pitching and yawing are acceptable • For tests with Heavy Good Vehicles, no more than 5% of the mass of the ballast shall become detached or be split

during the test, until the vehicle comes to rest. • Following impact into the safety barrier or papapet, the vehcile when bouncing back is not permitted to cross a line

parallel to the initial traffic face of the the system (see the definition of 'redirection' for more detail) It is up to national regulations (and not the EN 1317) to define which are the containment level (at least the minimum) to be used in different situations according to specific criteria (traffic type, speed limit, presence of hazards on the roadside etc)

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EN 1317 Containment Levels

EN 1317 Crash Test Specifications

NB: Test TB11 and TB32 are designed to verify that the containment level by the barrier is compatible with the safety of the

occupants of the vehicle.

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What is Normalised Working Width? Normalised Working width is a measure of the deformation of the barrier under impact. It is usually considered as the main parameter to calculate the space needed behind the barrier in order for the system to work properly. It is calculated as the maximum distance between the traffic face of the barrier and the maximum deformation of its main components during the impact of the heavier vehicle. The working width is divided into 8 classes from W1 to W8 according to the growing deformation of the system. The table below provides an an overview of the different working width classes and the equivalent values in meters.

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Ultimately, it is up to national regulations (not the EN 1317) to define the criteria that road designers should follow in order to choose the most suitable width class while designing the roadside.

What is Normalised Dynamic Deflection? Normalised Dynamic Deflection is the second parameter to evaluate the deformation of the system under impact and it is calculated as the distance between the traffic face of the system in its initial condition and it maximum displacement. The dynamic deflection is measured in metres.

It is up to national regulations (not the EN 1317) to define the criteria that road designers should follow to define the maximum dynamic deflection of the system to be used on the road, when designing the roadside.

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What is Impact Severity? Impact Severity is an index that assesses the severity of an impact against the tested restraint system based on the results of different parameters. The impact severity is divided in 3 levels, from A to C, according to the growing severity of the consequences of the impact on the car's occupant. The Impact Severity A affords a greater level of safety for the car's occupants than than level B and the same for level B compared to level C. The Impact Severity is calculated by assessing two components: the Acceleretion Severity Index and the Theoretical Head Impact Velocity Acceleration Severity Index (ASI) is probably the main parameter for the calculation of the Impact Severity and is calculated by placing an accelerometer in the centre of the mass of the car and recording the impact against the road restraint system. The ASI is computed all along the impact time and its maximum value is used to evaluate the severity of the impact. Theoretical Head Impact Velocity (THIV) has been developed for assessing the occupant impact severity for vehicles involved in collisions with road restraint systems. The occupant is considered to be a freely moving object (head) that, as the vehicle changes its speed during contact with the road restraint system, continues moving until it strikes a surface within the interior of the vehicle. The magnitude of the velocity of the theoretical head impact is considered to be a measure of the vehicle to road restraint system impact severity. The table below show the different levels/classes of impact severity as well as the maximum ASI/THIV permissible values.

What is Redirection?

Redirection i s the capacity of a restraint system to return a vehicle to the road in a controlled manner following impact against that same restraint system.

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What is Vehicle Instrusion? The vehicle intrusion (VIm) of the Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) is its maximum dynamic lateral position from the undeformed traffic side of the barrier; it is evaluated from high speed photographic or video recordings, in consideration of a notional load having the width and length of the vehicle platform and a total height of 4 m. The VIm is evaluated by measuring the position and angle of the vehicle platform and assuming the notional load stays undeformed and rectangular to the vehicle platform or by using test vehicles with the notional load.

VIm= Vehicle intrusion

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In the EU-27, over 300 million vehicles circulate on a road network of approximately 5 million kilometres.

The societal impact of road accidents, fatalities and injuries is estimated to be around 2% of the EU GDP, or in other words, around 250 billion euros. Injuries and fatalities due to road accidents are a problem that can

considerably be addressed if the necessary attention is given to the prevention strategies and solutions. Road safety is based on a three pillar approach by focussing on the vehicle, the driver and last but not least,

the infrastructure. In turn, infrastructure safety can be separated into active safety measures, whose role is

to ensure as far as possible that the driver maintains control of his vehicle through appropriate guidance (e.g. road markings and signs) and passive safety measures, whose role is to protect drivers once they have

lost control of their vehicle and, in the end, to protect drivers from their own human mistakes. Road Restraint Systems are one of the most efficient and cost-effective road infrastructure solutions that

can reduce the impact of a road accident and the number of fatalities and injuries for the vehicle

passengers. This dedicated website is the contribution of the European Union Road Federation and its Members to Road

Safety and the constant improvement of Road Restraint Systems (RRS) in Europe. We wish you a pleasant reading

Crash Tests This section is dedicated to displaying several crash tests of various road restraint systems products that are conducted according to the EN 1317. The crash test are categorised according to their containment level. To access them, please click on your preferred containment level.

N1 N2 H1 H2 H3 H4b

Update of hEN 1317-5 In 2012, the CEN published a major amendment of the EN 1317, which is the second since the approval of the standard in 2007. The goal of this amendment was to integrate in the harmonised part of the standard (Part 5) the changes already introduced in the supporting parts (1,2 and 3) since 2010. This was necessary in order for notified bodies to be able to award CE marks according to updated criteria. The amendment also introduces performance classes concerning snow removal operations which concerns mainly Scandivian countries. This section explains in a simple but concise manner the major changes introduced.

1. Removal of Post-Head Impact Deceleration (PHD)

In the 2007 version of the EN 1317, the Impact Severity was calculated by considering three distinct values: - Acceleration Severity Index (ASI) - Theoretical Head Impact Velocity (THIV) - Post-Head Impact Deceleration (PHD)

EN 1317-5 2007

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In the 2010 version, the PHD has been removed because, as a result of exentive empirical evidence, experts judged it to be unreliable as a parameter.

EN 1317-5 2010

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2. Introduction of L-Class Containment levels As shown in the table below, in the 2007 edition of the EN 1317-5, the performance of the H-class barriers was evaluated by performing a test including a Heavy Good Vehicle(different for each class) and a small passenger car (the same test for all classes). This meant a large percentage of 'middle class' vehicles currently cicrulating on the roads was not taken into account during the testing and subseuqent certification of barriers, in particular family cars with an approximate weight between 1,500 kg and 2,000 kg.

EN 1317 Crash Test Specifications - 2007 Version

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As a result, the CEN working group introduced a new range of classes called 'L-Class' which as become a testing requirement and includes a third test of a middle sized vehicle to H-Class barriers. The introduction of these new barriers will ensure a higher level of safety for users on Europe's roads.

EN 1317 Crash Test Specifications - 2010 Version

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3. Normalisation of deformation indices In order to reduce the influence of the testing tolerances in the classification of performance of safety barriers, the deformation indices (working width, dynamic deflection, vehicles intrusion) are now normalised with the actual testing values for mass, speed and angle. The table below shows the new way of calculating the deformation indices as stipulated in the EN 1317 2010 Version.

Calculation of Deformation Indices

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An introduction to CE Marking Products to be sold in the European Union (EU) that come under certain European Directives/Regulations must bear the CE mark – it is a legal requirement. CE marking on a product is the manufacturer’s declaration that the product complies with the essential requirements of all the Directives/Regulations that apply to it. It indicates to the appropriate bodies that the product may be legally offered for sale in their country and gives companies easier access into the European market to sell their products without adaptation or rechecking. The initials "CE" do not stand for any specific words; they are simply a declaration by the manufacturer that his product meets the requirements of the applicable European Directive(s)/Regulations.

ERF Members, Activities and Products

This section is dedicated the ERF Members who are active within the ERF Road Restraint Systems Working Group. The ERF Restraint Systems Working Group gathers ERF Members active in the field of road safety and road restraints systems. The objective of the working group is: a) To raise awareness amongst policymakers about the important contribution road restraint systems can make to road safety b) To monitor the correct implementation of the EN 1317 c) to exchange view on topics of mutual interest, share good practices and agree on common actions to be undertaken by the ERF Secretariat. Moreover, this section contains a database of our member's products which can be classified according to various criteria.

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Members' Services

In addition to the producing road restraint systems products, a number of ERF members provide services linked to the EN 1317.

GDTECH is an engineering company active on the “Road Restraint Systems” market. It performs

computer simulation in accordance with CEN TR 16303 to reproduce crashes described in EN1317 or in

EN12767 for certifying products. Moreover, it is active in simulating different cases than

the standardized ones for road designing purpose. Being active in the Road Restraint System market

since 2003, GDTECH is also active in advising in this field.

For any further information about GDTECH and what we can offer, please contact us

at: Joseph.Marra@gdtech.eu