Truck mounted attenuators, like those at A1 Roadlines Pty. Ltd, also referred to as crash cushions, are units normally attached to trucks to ease the impact when a vehicle crashes into those trucks. Typically, truck mounted attenuators are fixed on large trucks that are parked along the highway between traffic and construction workers. Basically, the work of these crash cushions is to alert motorists of the work zone ahead of them while at the same time protecting the area as well as the crew from crashes. When searching for a truck mounted attenuator to guarantee the safety of your crew while working in the road, narrow down on those that feature the following safety mechanisms.

Safe weight

Truck mounted attenuators come in different weights based on the manufacturers' specifications. Ideally, you want your host truck as well as the attached attenuator to be as heavy as possible. This is because a heavier truck system can accommodate all sorts of crash impact, irrespective of the weight of the car crashing into it. Therefore, pick a heavy-weight truck mounted attenuator to guarantee the safety of your crew and host truck.

Attenuator impact braking

Often abbreviated as AIB, attenuator impact braking systems are a must-have. Basically, these systems engage emergency brakes to the host truck whenever they are crashed into from the rear. This stops a rear collision from becoming an even worse disaster involving several other vehicles, and protects the workers who may be working in front of the host truck from being run over.

Highly visible colours

As earlier mentioned, truck mounted attenuators can withstand crash impact, however you don't necessarily want them to be crashed into at all. Red, orange and bright yellow are some of the suitable colours for your crash cushions. The use of attached arrow boards and warning lights helps to also enhance the overall visibility.

Strong host truck

If you're purchasing an attenuator unit which you're going to install onto an existing host truck, make sure the axles of your host truck are strong enough to comfortably accommodate the weight of the attenuator unit since attenuators add additional weight on the rear side of the host truck. A truck mounted attenuator supplier can tell you whether your host truck is up to task.

Flexible impact attenuator units

For both legal and safety reasons, choose an impact attenuator unit which can either be raised or lowered if need be. Some states only allow attenuators to be lowered if the host truck is parked at the work site or sits on a single lane on the road. By and large, attenuators should be raised.