New Guardrail Safety Device in Production in VA

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New Guardrail Safety Device in Production in VA

Governor Ralph Northam announced a $7.9 million dollar investment in Virginia’s Bristol-Washington Industrial Park this week from highway guardrail manufacturer SPIG Industry LLC. The company hopes to hire more than 100 machinists and welders as part of the expansion. Employees will work on the newly designed SGET end terminal, a safety device that aims to absorb and dissipate energy in automobile accidents.

Promising Crash Tests

Initial crash tests reveal promising results. In simulations of car crashes, the SGET end terminal has not cracked a single vehicle’s front windshield. This is a good sign, as many existing end terminals fail to fold backward as designed, impaling and sometimes killing passengers in the front of the cabin. While the product is still in development, news of the SGET end terminal’s success thus far is heartening.

A Safer Alternative to the ET-PLUS

Manufacturers have been eager to resolve design flaws in guardrail end terminals like those found in the ET-PLUS. It made headlines following multiple tragic accidents in the 2010s. Trinity Industries, the company behind the ET-PLUS, filed for bankruptcy after a whistleblower levied a complaint about the guardrail end terminal’s design. The whistleblower sued the company on behalf of the government, arguing that the redesigned ET-PLUS was unsafe and contributed to multiple fatal car crashes.

We can’t know for sure that the SGET end terminal will be any safer than the ET-PLUS, but the crash testing data is promising. Should all go as planned, Virginia’s drivers may be able to breathe a little easier.

Guardrail Injury Lawyers

The skilled attorneys at The Law Offices of Richard J. Serpe, PC have the resources and understanding of the case law and statutes pertaining guardrail injury accidents. If you were injured or lost a family member due to a defective guardrail, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact our office (877) 544-5323 for a free consultation, or send us a message online.