An impact attenuator, also known as a crash cushion, crash attenuator, or cowboy cushion, is a device intended to reduce the damage to structures, vehicles, and motorists resulting from a motor vehicle collision. Impact attenuators are designed to absorb the colliding vehicle's kinetic energy.[1][2] They may also be designed to redirect the vehicle away from the hazard or away from roadway machinery and workers.[3] Impact attenuators are usually placed in front of fixed structures near highways, such as gore points, crash barrier introductions, or overpass supports. Temporary versions may be used for road construction projects.
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- ^ Dreznes, Michael G. (2008). "Turning the world's roads into forgiving highways preventing needless deaths". In Al-Qadi, Imad L.; Sayed, Tarek; Alnuaimi, Nasser A.; Masad, Eyad (eds.). Efficient Transportation and Pavement Systems: Characterization, Mechanisms, Simulation, and Modeling. Leiden: CRC Press. pp. 257–268. ISBN 9780203881200. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "03-21-00_.PDF" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 15, 2004.