3DDave
Aerospace
- May 23, 2013
- 10,809
Is it just me or does it seem like those will simply roll or slide out of the way if an SUV pushes them from either direction? How tough would it be to bolt something at the right height to push on the platform over those wheels to stop them from doing sufficient damage to stop an SUV or large pickup truck?
Pushing from this side and it looks like they just add to the problem.
Oh, wait this is tragic and funny - according to the maker https://www.betterbarriers.com/product/archer-1200/ those wheels are supposed to be folded up after placement. FFS no one reads the <string of profanity> directions do they?
What's more, they appear to be designed for best use on dirt and are intended to stop vehicles in a dynamic way, depending on a high enough velocity to cause the barrier to rotate as well as to smash the front of the vehicle, which is great if you have people with guns to shoot anyone approaching a check point slowly and so making a dash at it the best option. But on hard pavement or a civilian sidewalk? They are also supposed to be cabled together to form a chain of barriers such that pushing one will gather the rest and cause the excess ones to rotate into the vehicle tires, removing traction with the ground. RWD? Seems like a steady push would displace one and then the driver can back up and turn through the gap.
How they are envisioned to be used:
I think these barriers are great for the task they are intended for, but not for the purpose they have been put to in New Orleans.
I would probably go with those concrete center barriers placed parallel to the curb as they provide similar or better protection and aren't nearly the tripping hazard to the pedestrians who are using the sidewalks. They also have standard blinky lights to place on the tops to give better pedestrian recognition of the unusual hazard and, if some moron starts shooting, provide at least a tiny increase in the places one might hide to prevent getting shot.
