Roller-coaster crash barriers planned on upcoming roads in Kerala
The Hindu
Curves and other vulnerable spots of roads in the high ranges and beside waterbodies in Kerala would get roller-coaster crash barriers, which help avert fatal accidents by largely absorbing the impact
Curves and other vulnerable spots of roads in the high ranges and beside waterbodies in Kerala would get roller-coaster crash barriers, which help avert fatal accidents by largely absorbing the impact of a crash and deflecting the out-of-control vehicle towards the road. They will be installed in areas where W-beam crash barriers or guard stones at frequent intervals that was traditionally used, would be inadequate. "W-beam crash barriers prevent an out-of control vehicle from falling off a gradient, by redirecting it towards the road. Roller-coaster crash barriers are even safer since they can absorb more shock and deflect vehicles which ram them back to the road. They also help avoid serious injuries, by considerably absorbing the shock," said T. Elangovan, Executive Director of Kerala Road Safety Authority (KRSA).Several principals of government and private schools in Delhi on Tuesday said the Directorate of Education (DoE) circular from a day earlier, directing schools to conduct classes in ‘hybrid’ mode, had caused confusion regarding day-to-day operations as they did not know how many students would return to school from Wednesday and how would teachers instruct in two modes — online and in person — at once. The DoE circular on Monday had also stated that the option to “exercise online mode of education, wherever available, shall vest with the students and their guardians”. Several schoolteachers also expressed confusion regarding the DoE order. A government schoolteacher said he was unsure of how to cope with the resumption of physical classes, given that the order directing government offices to ensure that 50% of the employees work from home is still in place. On Monday, the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) had, on the orders of the Supreme Court, directed schools in Delhi-NCR to shift classes to the hybrid mode, following which the DoE had issued the circular. The court had urged the Centre’s pollution watchdog to consider restarting physical classes due to many students missing out on the mid-day meals and lacking the necessary means to attend classes online. The CAQM had, on November 20, asked schools in Delhi-NCR to shift to the online mode of teaching.