See Minnesotan Crashing Into Steel Highway Cables [WATCH VIDEO]

THE MAGICIANS BEHIND THE SCENES

Have you ever wondered if those steel cables on the side of the highway do anything to protect drivers? There is a whole team of experts working for us behind the scenes, at finding ways to protect us from vehicle crashes.

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INNOVATION IS SAVING LIVES

Just think about some of the simple yet innovative things that you've seen created over the years; things as blinking lights on stop lights at cross-sections in rural areas. I think how beneficial this is in the middle of a snow storm when you don't know the area, and a stop sign appears out of nowhere. Think about the rumble strips as you approach stop lights or stop signs, or the rumble strips on the side of the road to help alert drivers that may be falling asleep or simply not paying attention.

HIGH TENSION CABLE BARRIERS

The steel cabling that you see on the sides of highways are actually called "high tension cable median barriers," and they were created to reduce the impact of crashes. It's like a magic trick created out of steel cables.

When a vehicle hits the cables, the posts break, causing the cables to flex, which absorbs energy from the crash. Then, the cables are intended to redirect the vehicle that hits them, along the median, with the hopes to prevent the vehicle from crossing the median

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WATCH THIS VIDEO

The Minnesota Office of Traffic and Engineering has a big job in trying to figure out how to reduce the severity of crashes on our highways. Watch the video below released by MnDot, and see what happens when vehicles crash into the steel cabling along Minnesota highways.

https://fb.watch/dQo0rHFNQI/

MnDot/Facebook