Passively Safe Road Products

Every year over 40,000 people are killed in the EU as a result of road traffic accidents. Another 1,500,000 are injured – many being left with crippling disabilities. A significant proportion of these accidents are a result of collisions with signs, signals, poles and other items of street furniture which can now be made passively safe, offering a real contribution in the reduction of personal injury to the occupants of vehicles involved in such accidents.

The Advice Note gives guidance on the use of passively safe signposts, lighting columns and traffic signal posts to reduce risk of personal injury if errant vehicles strike such objects. Safety barriers to protect signs on larger signposts, lighting columns and traffic signal posts may not be necessary where passively safe signposts lighting columns or traffic signal posts to BS EN 12767 are employed.

Passive safety and passively safe street furniture is approved and supported by the Highways Agency, Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly Government and the Department for Regional Development Northern Ireland.