Impact Attenuators

Impact attenuators are the last line of defense between a vehicle and a fixed hazard — bridge piers, concrete barrier ends, gore points, and overhead sign supports. When a driver leaves the travel lane at highway speed, a properly installed crash cushion can reduce the severity of an impact from potentially fatal to survivable. Road Safety Systems installs MASH-tested impact attenuator systems for highway agencies across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland.

Attenuator Systems We Install

**Redirective Crash Cushions**: Energy-absorbing systems that decelerate a vehicle in a head-on impact and redirect vehicles that strike the side, protecting bridge piers, concrete barrier ends, and overhead sign supports on high-speed highways.

**Non-Redirective Crash Cushions**: Decelerate-only systems used where side impacts are not a concern. Sand barrel arrays are the most common non-redirective attenuator — sand-filled barrels arranged in a tapered pattern to progressively absorb energy.

Installation and Documentation

Attenuator installation requires precision — nose alignment, anchor bolt torque, cartridge placement, and nose-to-hazard offset must meet manufacturer specifications exactly. We photo-document installations with measurements verified against manufacturer tolerances and provide as-built packages including material certifications and installation photos. Crash cushions absorb impacts by design and then need repair or replacement — we can assess damage, replace deformed components, and restore systems to specification after a crash.

Selecting the Right Attenuator for the Hazard

Not every fixed hazard calls for the same attenuator. Factors that go into selecting the right system include the design speed of the approaching roadway, the width and shape of the hazard being shielded, whether side impacts from an adjacent lane are a realistic scenario, and how much space is available in front of the hazard for the attenuator's length. We work from the project's traffic engineering and the manufacturer's application guidance rather than defaulting to a single system across every location, since an undersized or mismatched attenuator can perform worse than no attenuator at all.

Post-Impact Response

Because attenuators are designed to absorb impact energy through controlled deformation, a hit system needs prompt attention — a damaged attenuator no longer protects the hazard behind it the way an intact one does. We can respond to assess crash damage, confirm which components require replacement, and restore the system to manufacturer specification, helping agencies keep gore areas and other high-exposure locations protected between crash events.