Smart Cushion® Protects Semi Driver in High-Energy Nevada Impact

In November 2015, a semi-truck traveling approximately 55–60 mph struck a Smart Cushion® crash attenuator on a Nevada roadway. Despite the truck’s substantial weight and impact energy, the speed-dependent Smart Cushion® absorbed the collision and prevented the vehicle from reaching the adjacent sound wall. The driver walked away from the crash.

The case study highlights how Smart Cushion® differs from fixed-force attenuators by varying stopping resistance based on impact speed. According to the case study, a conventional fixed-force system would likely have bottomed out while the truck was still traveling at a high rate of speed, increasing the likelihood that it would have passed over the attenuator and struck the wall.