![]() ![]() When a car hits a guardrail, the “end terminal” or cap on the end is supposed to act like an accordion and absorb the car’s impact, according to San Diego car accident attorneys. Now, after fatalities across the country, many states are taking them off the roads. The Federal Highway Administration first approved the X-LITE guardrail head in 2011 after it had been tested and deemed safe to install. South Carolina currently stands behind its decision to use and install the X-LITE system and has no plans to remove them.Thirteen States Across America Remove Controversial X-Lite Guardrail Heads from Highways After Accidents Raise Safety ConcernsĪfter multiple tragic car accidents across the country resulted in fatalities due to guardrail heads spearing cars and taking them off the roads, thirteen states are responding by banning the Lindsay X-LITE end caps from state highways. ![]() The Federal High Safety Administration is still looking into system data in the states that continue to use that particular rail system. Other states have performed their own investigations and have removed or are currently in the process of uninstalling the X-LITE Guardrails. ![]() Their results did not show any defects in the guardrails installed in those areas. The Federal Highway Safety Administration ran its own investigation into California’s, Massachusetts’, Missouri’s and Pennsylvania’s guardrail systems. There are several other factors that come into play. Speed alone is not the sole predictor of its effectiveness. People who oppose the use of X-LITE system believe it to be unsafe when speeds greater than 45 miles per hour are involved. Several jurisdictions are in the process of removing the X-LITE system from their roads. Preliminary Federal Investigations Reveal No Issues Investigations in Tennessee and Virginia show the X-LITE system is not very effective at preventing death in accidents where vehicles are traveling more than 62.2 miles per hour. Several victims were traveling at speeds in excess of 60 miles per hour. USA Today reports that the X-LITE Guardrail system has claimed a total of seven lives in six crashes in Tennessee, Missouri and Virginia. Many other people have suffered serious injuries after coming in contact with the guardrails. In South Carolina alone, there were 13 crash fatalities involving the guardrails since 2016. Several people in different states have lost their lives after suffering from impalement from the X-LITE Guardrail system. Though it is designed to help buffer crashing vehicles and keep them from falling off the roads, some critics claim it does more than that and is also likely to impale victims. The safety of the X-LITE Guardrail system is under question in several states. ![]() Research Shows Risks That Reduce Effectiveness of the X-LITE One of those systems is the X-LITE Guardrail. Currently, the state uses three types of guardrail systems. However, it is also a source of pain and suffering for some families of crash victims who lost their lives and are suffering from critical injuries. For many, it is a godsend that has helped to save many lives. When you hear about traffic accidents and fatalities, one of the last things that might come to mind involves the state’s guardrail system. Though the number of traffic fatalities is decreasing, many people still end up injured in car accidents. South Carolina is one of many states to use the X-LITE Guardrail system to reduce the number of traffic accident fatalities that occur on its roads. ![]()
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