Monday, July 16, 2007; Posted: 6:40 p.m. (CDT)
Oklahoma City -- Oklahoma has been paving the way to highway safety for the past six years. Our state was the first to use cable barriers to minimize crossover accidents on major highways and interstates. KSBI-TV's Kealey McIntire tells us how the concept has caught on nationwide and statewide.
The cable barrier looks like a tiny fence, but the item has a great deal of importance. It's estimated the barrier has prevented hundreds of severe head-on collisions since it was installed along the Lake Hefner Parkway in 2001.
"You may still have accidents, someone runs into the cable that's an accident, but the severity of that accident because of the cable barrier being there can often times decrease that severity," explains Gary Ridley, Director of the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
The barrier was the first of its kind in the nation. Thirty other states have since introduced the technology. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation approved seven more projects Monday. The cable barriers will span more than 50 miles and cost $5.5 million.
"Cable barriers are certainly a way to protect the motorists from themselves from crossing over the median and hitting somebody driving in the other lane," says Ridley.
The cable barriers cost significantly less than the concrete barriers, plus they can be repaired quickly following an accident. The cable barriers also deflect energy created by an impact, reducing injuries to drivers.
Ridley estimates 500 people a year die in crossover accidents. He says the cable barriers will go a long way in reducing that number.
"Safety is a big issue with us, it's paramount in this agency. That's the direction we're headed," says Ridley.
