Enhancing Road Safety with Water Filled Barriers: Benefits and Safety

How and When to Use a Water Filled Road Barrier

A water filled barrier can be an exceptionally versatile tool in a variety of scenarios. A flexible and affordable alternative to concrete and metal grid barriers, water filled barriers have countless practical applications.

Depending on the requirements of those using them, water filled barriers can be advantageous to traditional road barriers and crowd control barriers in a variety of ways. Whether you are looking to close off sections of roads entirely, delineate diversions or provide ample warning of a potential hazard, water filled road barriers are worth considering for a variety of reasons.

Lightweight and Convenient to Handle

The vast majority of water filled barriers are manufactured from durable UV stabilised polythene, which along with being exceptionally robust is also extremely lightweight. When the barriers are empty, they are easier to handle and transport with no specialist moving equipment required.

They can then be connected in any required configuration in a matter of minutes, prior to being filled with water to create a sturdy protective barrier. Once these lightweight modular barriers have been filled with water, they can be just as protective as most other traditional types of barriers.

Reduced Physical Impact

What’s also advantageous about water filled barriers is the way in which they can be a safer choice, in the event of an accident or incident. Research has shown that injury and mortality rates are considerably higher when collisions occur with concrete barriers than those involving water filled barriers.

The very nature of water filled barriers is such that the physical impact of a collision is significantly reduced. While still capable of providing robust and reliable protection, there is a certain amount of flexibility to water filled barriers that can make them a safer choice. Hence, they’re a useful alternative to concrete or metal barrier where the risk of collision exists.

No Gaps in the Barrier

Another benefit is how modular water filled road barriers can be linked together to create a seamless protective barrier with no physical gaps. This is something that is not possible when using traffic cones, drums and similar objects to create what is more of a ‘virtual’ barrier than physical.

Depending on the location and the purpose for which they’re required, water filled barriers have the potential to improve safety and security for workers and public alike.

Reduced Risk of Theft

Theft can be a surprisingly common problem where cones and similar portable objects are used.

Quality water filled barriers reduce the risk of theft through the use of anti-tamper plugs, making it almost impossible for them to be moved without authorisation.

Maximising Visual Impact

Lastly, the safety and effectiveness of water filled road barriers is further enhanced by their bright and distinctive colours. When motorists and pedestrians see these large objects in red, white and sometimes orange, they instinctively know that it’s indicative of a potential hazard.

Meanwhile, concrete barriers and some types of metal barriers aren’t nearly as easy to spot from a distance. High-visibility water filled barriers can therefore reduce or eliminate the need for additional warning signs to be used, in order to provide approaching motorists with ample warning.