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SINGAPORE - A stretch of yellow-barreled rails over 20m in length was recently installed along the road shoulder of the slip road leading to the start of the Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) towards Woodlands. The rails resemble the rolling barrier system, a road safety feature, seen in several countries including Malaysia, Australia and the United States. Singapore Road Safety Council chairman Bernard Tay told The Straits Times the new guardrails are better at absorbing the impact from a vehicle crash. "It behaves like a shock absorber," said Mr Tay. "Unlike conventional metal barriers, this system absorbs the (crash) impact and deflects it, making it safer for the driver and reduces the likelihood of a vehicle crashing through the barrier." ST understands the system is new here. It is being tested by the Land Transport Authority which will soon be giving details about it. A close inspection of the "barrels" with reflective markers reveal they were manufactured by a South Korean company called Evolution in Traffic Innovation (ETI) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXVUAR5kjOA So how does the rolling barrier system work? When a vehicle hits the guardrail, the rotating barrels convert the shockwaves to rotational energy. The railway-type rails in the system also absorb the shockwaves while simultaneously guiding the accident vehicle away from the impact zone. In theory, this helps prevent unwanted rear-end collisions. The size and speed of a vehicle may affect the performance of the safety barrier. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdPmlriLSkQ The latest road safety technology, however, does not come cheap. The cost of installing 1m of the Roller System is reported to range between US$300 (S$414) and US$400 (S$553). But the cost of maintaining the guardrails apparently will be low as only damaged parts need to be replaced following a crash. In Mr Tay's view, the price is a small one to pay. "It's a good thing that LTA is making an effort to put in new innovation," he said. "Hopefully it (the rolling barrier system) saves more lives and reduces the injury to motorists."

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