Car protection and safety zones

Guardrails and safety zones are passive safety measures along the road that are intended to reduce the consequences of overtaking and collisions.

What is a car guard?

Autovern is a physical barrier along the road, usually made of steel or concrete. The purpose is to:

• Prevent vehicles from driving off the road or down slopes
• Protect against collision with fixed obstacles such as posts, mountains or trees
• Prevent vehicles from crossing into the oncoming traffic lane

Types of car protection

Safety zones

The safety zone is the area outside the carriageway which must be free of dangerous obstacles. The width of the safety zone depends on the speed limit:

• 60 km/h – safety zone of at least 3 metres
• 80 km/h – safety zone of at least 6 metres
• 100 km/h and above – safety zone of at least 10 metres

When the safety zone cannot be kept clear of obstacles, autovern is set up as an alternative protection.

Central traction mechanism and central parts

On roads with a high speed limit and a lot of traffic, central drawbars are used to separate oncoming traffic physically. This reduces the risk of collision accidents, which are among the most serious types of accidents.

• Central drawbars are common on motorways and 2+1 roads.
• Wire center pull mechanism provides some yielding resistance.
• Concrete central drawbars are stiffer and are used on highways .

Permissive master

Along many roads, light poles and signposts are designed to break or bend when hit. This is called resilient master and reduces the extent of damage when driving downhill.

Typical traps

• Think that car protection makes it safe to drive fast - car protection does not compensate for high speed.
• Drives too close to the guard rail and risks scratching the car.
• Underestimates the danger when driving downhill on roads without guardrails.

Further reading

• Read about motorway driving where anti-roll bars and central traction are standard.
• See road types and road classes for the difference between different roads.
• Understand speed zones and zone signs for the connection between speed and safety.
• Read about road lighting and reflector use for other safety measures along the road.