Big Dig tunnels killing motorcyclists.

[mojobreakfast]

There is a gruesome story in the Globe today about the design of railings in the central artery tunnels and how they are killing motorists. Four of the seven fatal accidents cited in the article involved motorcycles, and the stories are ugly...

The article:

http://www.boston.com/news/local/mas..._safety_rails/

The related map, with the accident locations and descriptions:

http://www.boston.com/news/graphics/...bigdigrailing/

Ride safe.

[Eric Baker]

Wow. R.I.P. to those unfortunate people.

[Pestilence]

Never paid much attention to the railings. It doesn't take much thought to think that a square tube could become a cutting edge at anyhting above 5 mph.

I'm sure we've all heard about someone who got tangled in a guardrail and lost a limb or worse from those metal cleavers 'protecting' our roadways.

[WordTooYoMamma]

Drove those roads all last summer on my bike

[Hammerspur]

Not pretty for sure!
Guess the loss of a MSP trooper was needed to illuminate the danger...

Tried in vain to find a pic of the offending handrails in the links, I'm curious what their construction looks like.

[Paul_E_D]

Sounds like the same problem that the luge track in whistler has!

[mycirus]

I will tell you what I have thought about. On 146 they put in those post and 2 wires in the median to divide the highway. I have always wondered what would happen if a motorcycle rider hit that. It would slice him in half. I dont know why they would do something like that. Its just a matter of time.

[BLACK SQUIRREL]

It sucks But it will get added to my List of "Places not to crash"

[FireboltEric_MA]

Ive thought the same on 146.....Scary!

[Evil_Weasel]

ok, i think we can all take away from this is one of those great universal truths of motorcycling. "gaurdrails are bad...in a tunnel, dividing a highway, at a racetrack hairpin. it doesn't matter where... guard rails are bad."

[mojobreakfast]

I know, it's a little bit of a slow news day story.

I believe EU is going to begin motorcycle crash-testing highway fixtures (guardrails) with the goal of making contact with these things conceivably survivable.

[csmutty]

ok, i think we can all take away from this is one of those great universal truths of motorcycling. "gaurdrails are bad...in a tunnel, dividing a highway, at a racetrack hairpin. it doesn't matter where... guard rails are bad."

It's like saying motorcycles are dangerous...DUH!
I wish his family the best, but it's kinda common sense.

[ilikenapalm]

Why not just put a lining of foam or some other material in the spaces between the guardrail posts? Seems so elementary to me.

[Cambridge K]

There's more to the State Trooper & the motorcycle - HD recalled some bikes - the trooper was riding the bike to get the recall done when the accident happened. From this accident- this is why Cambridge went to BMW R1150 RTP & R1200RTP Police bikes.

[CBR929RE]

I will tell you what I have thought about. On 146 they put in those post and 2 wires in the median to divide the highway. I have always wondered what would happen if a motorcycle rider hit that. It would slice him in half. I dont know why they would do something like that. Its just a matter of time.

they have those on the Everett Turnpike just north of Nashua. Never understood them because they aren't gonna any vehicle.

[wiggeywackyo]

Just drove through there and had a good look at them. Sketchy indeed.

[Currently]

Crashing will cause you to lose body parts, standing up after a crash and getting hit by a car caused a fellow biker to lose his head at the 153 -I75 split here last summer. Body is not meant to strike or be struck by anything going 50+ mph.

If we all knew when and where we are going to crash, we would either not ride that day or go around it.

[butcher bergs]

So now every railing in the world is going to be scrutinized because of an ice luge incident? Sounds to me like that's where this is headed.

[Stegosaurous]

So now every railing in the world is going to be scrutinized because of an ice luge incident? Sounds to me like that's where this is headed.

I dont think one has anything to do with the other.

[butcher bergs]

I dont think one has anything to do with the other.

While my comment might be a bit "over the top", my curiosity is, how long have these railings in question been in place and it's now suddenly an issue?

What about people killed by trees during an accident? Should we start chopping down everything in sight?

Falling ceilings in the tunnels are an issue, for sure. Crashing your vehicle and hitting an object in the process is simply the nature of the beast, IMO.

[Mondo]

i hate riding in those tunnels regardless of this for some reason

[Punjistick]

How about the fact that they could have saved $300-700k by using round posts to begin with.

[Dieseldan]

wow that is just chilling

[KB]

I am never riding through there again. I will go arouns the tunnel!

Thanks for the heads up!

KB

[CMG241]

I will tell you what I have thought about. On 146 they put in those post and 2 wires in the median to divide the highway. I have always wondered what would happen if a motorcycle rider hit that. It would slice him in half. I dont know why they would do something like that. Its just a matter of time.

same on RT 213 Methuen