Moondog of Augusta, ME Bole:
where'd you get yours????

they all musta followed youreport abuse

Bole of Augusta, ME If you didn't have idiot drivers you wouldn't need guard rails. So why do we give licenses to idiots?report abuse

O_o of Everytown, ME if you sideswipe standard w type guardrail with a car, you bounce off. if you sideswipe cable guardrail, you destroy the side of your car. if you sideswipe cable guardrail on a bike, youre dead.report abuse

riderwriter of Augusta, ME The Maine DOT has decided that putting high-tension cables on some narrow medians will make them safer for all of us, or at least worth experimenting with. Perhaps they haven't researched the affects that such cables and their support posts have on motorcyclists.

I don't want to ride down a highway next to the equivalent of a giant cheese slicer, and sometimes alternate roads are not an option. Even a rider in full gear would be seriously maimed and/or killed if their bike was forced into one of those cables designed to "protect." It's like a fast moving saw -a metal cable zipping past a cutting surface at highway speeds will slice through metal and plastic like it is butter -not to mention body parts.

These cables have been used in Europe and are being phased out in some countries because of their ability to end lives in a gruesome fashion. They are in use in some other states; I'm not sure yet if fatality statistics are available yet. I suspect that aspect isn't something folks looking to save money focused on researching or sharing.

I've approached riding a motorcycle very cautiously. I've ridden as a passenger, with gear. I've taken and passed the MSF. I've educated myself and practiced to be better able to respond and ride safely. Even so, statistically I will likely be involved in an accident some day. With no barrier I may be able to avoid an accident or at least avoid involving anyone else. A Jersey barrier or other solid guardrail could crush my leg and break some ribs -a substitute high tension cable could saw me in half in seconds to end my life.

I think better driver training and insurance discounts for folks who take advanced driving courses would be more financially viable and save more lives than high-tension cables. There are ways to minimize and prevent accidents that don't bring an increased risk of death to other vehicle operators.report abuse